New coffee pod recycling collections to start in Exeter

People in Exeter can take advantage of a new kerbside recycling service for plastic and aluminium coffee pods, the City Council has announced.

Starting on 24 January, Exeter residents will be able to have their coffee pods collected from home.

The City Council has teamed up with Podback, a not-for-profit coffee recycling service, to offer the free collections.

Flyers explaining the service will be sent out by Podback to all residents during the week commencing 10 January.

People will need to register for the new service and will then receive special collection bags provided by Podback. The bags will then be collected by the Council on a weekly basis as part of recycling and household waste collections.

Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for City Management, said the new service supported the Council’s aims to reduce waste, increase recycling and tackle climate change: “This is great news for Exeter. We’ve been looking for a recycling solution for these pods for some time, so it’s fantastic that they can now be recycled from the kerbside. Podback is funding the service, so it is cost neutral.”

Since January 2021, UK consumers have bought 1.2 billion coffee pods as their taste for luxury coffee at home grows. Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Podback found that more than a third (35%) of coffee pod drinkers are unaware that pods can be recycled, while 90% state that they’d like to be able to recycle their coffee pods through their usual household recycling.

Podback is working in partnership with the biggest names in coffee pod systems – Nespresso, NESCAFE Dolce Gusto and Tassimo – to recycle its pods.

Once collected, the coffee pods will be sent for reprocessing to separate the packaging from the coffee grounds. The coffee grounds will be used to create soil improver and renewable energy. The plastic and aluminium will be transformed into new products

Recycling items uses less energy than manufacturing from raw materials, saving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions generated by throwing items away in landfill and even incineration.

Exeter residents registering for the service will be sent two rolls of bags - plus a caddy if they use NESCAFE Dolce Gusto coffee pods – for the recycling of their aluminium or plastic coffee pods along with an instructional leaflet.

The pods can then be put outside in either the specially provided bags or the caddy for kerbside collection along with their other waste and recycling on their normal collection day. People must register to take advantage of the service and the pods will only be collected if placed in the provided bags or caddy.

For more information on the service visit the City Council website http://exeter.gov.uk/podback/