In January 2023 Horsham District Council partnered with Podback to launch a free collection service for residents to recycle their used coffee pods from home.
The service has proved to be a great success with over half a million pods collected and recycled in the first six months of operation.
By recycling we reduce waste and give materials a second life. Once collected from the kerbside, the coffee pods are taken to specialist aluminium and plastics reprocessing plants in the UK. The coffee grounds are removed, and the plastic and aluminium are then transformed into new products, including beverage cans, car components or plastic garden furniture and building products. The coffee grounds are used to create soil improver and renewable energy (biogas).
Councillor Jay Mercer, Cabinet Member for Environmental Health, Recycling and Waste commented:
The Podback recycling collection service supports our commitment to tackling climate change.
Horsham District has the highest recycling rate in West Sussex and as a council we are grateful to our environmentally conscious and caring residents for helping to make sure these typically difficult to recycle pods get reused.
The response to the Podback collection service has been great and I am delighted to see over half a million coffee pods saved from waste since we launched the service.
As a coffee drinker myself, I think we should look at all options, especially for our daily habits. For example, it would be great if more of us refilled pods ourselves or used bean to cup coffee machines to remove the need to recycle altogether.
You can find out more about the Podback scheme, including information on booking a collection, on our Podback webpage.