From 24 January 2022, Ipswich residents will be able to recycle both plastic and aluminium coffee pods using free collection bags provided by Podback.
An information leaflet will be sent through resident doors in early January encouraging them to register for the new service based on the types of coffee pods they use. Once registered, residents will be sent two rolls of recycling bags or, if they use NESCAFE Dolce Gusto coffee pods, a caddy. Once filled, they can put them out with their black and blue bins on their normal collection day. Based on demand, dedicated areas will be installed in bin stores so that residents who receive communal waste and recycling collections can still use the service.
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.
The new service will help support the Council’s aim to reduce waste, increase recycling and achieve carbon savings to help tackle climate change.
Ipswich Borough Council is working with Podback, a not-for-profit coffee pod recycling service created in partnership with the biggest names in coffee pod systems, Nespresso, NESCAFE Dolce Gusto and Tassimo, to enable residents to recycle their coffee pods as part of their kerbside waste and recycling collection services. 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 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.
Councillor Phil Smart, Ipswich Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment & Climate Change, says:
“With the introduction of flexible working and more people working from home and drinking coffee, the expansion of the recycling service to collect coffee pods couldn’t come at a better time. Recycling is one of the easiest things we can do to protect the environment, and this scheme with Podback will offer our residents a simple way to recycle their coffee pods and help create a more circular economy for our waste and resources, with more materials being recycled and reused.
“The coffee pods will be collected every week for recycling using both our household waste and recycling vehicles. Podback is funding the service so there is no cost to the council tax payer and it’s an excellent way for us to improve our existing recycling service.”
Rick Hindley, Podback’s Executive Director, says:
“Podback is a pioneering new service. Consumers can already access local Collect + stores of which there are more than 6,500 in the UK, to drop off empty coffee pods. However, this new collaboration with Ipswich Borough Council, to introduce coffee pod collections through the existing kerbside waste and recycling services will make it even easier for consumers to participate at home whilst helping the Council increase the amount it recycles.”
