The supermarket giant will now be offering the Podback recycling scheme in as many as 600 stores across the UK, making it easier than ever for customers to recycle their coffee pods
Asda has teamed up with coffee pod recycling service Podback, offering a simple and convenient solution for coffee enthusiasts to recycle their used coffee pods at over 600 of its stores.
The recycling scheme is now accessible in more than 600 stores across the country. Customers can return their Podback bags for recycling via Asda’s toYou parcel service. Asda, which competes with Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and others, hopes this easy collection system will inspire more customers to recycle coffee pods.
Coffee pods are not suitable for traditional recycling due to their small size and organic material content. Podback users can now recycle their used aluminium and plastic coffee pods by filling a Podback bag and returning it to the toYou parcel returns service at their nearest participating Asda store.
The free-to-use Podback service was established by Nestle and Jacobs Douwe Egberts in 2021 to simplify coffee pod recycling for consumers across the UK. Through the Podback scheme, plastic and aluminium pods are recycled in the UK.
The coffee grounds are converted into renewable energy and soil improver through anaerobic digestion, while the aluminium and plastic from the used pods are repurposed into products such as drinks cans, building materials and garden furniture, reports Birmingham Live.
Asda and Podback are teaming up to offer a new service aimed at making it easier for coffee pod aficionados to recycle their used pods while doing their regular shopping. Beth Fowler, Senior Manager – Healthy and Sustainable Choices at Asda, said: “We’re always looking for ways to support customers to make sustainable choices when shopping with us.
“The partnership with Podback is one of many workstreams across Asda’s ESG strategy including broader commitments on packaging reduction, recyclability and recycled content. By offering the collection and recycling service with Asda toYou and Podback, we hope that we can make recycling more convenient than ever when shopping with Asda.”
Rick Hindley, executive director at Podback, added: “Our partnership with Asda marks an exciting step forward in Podback’s mission to make sure every coffee pod enjoyed is recycled. Our customers tell us that they want easy and convenient ways to recycle, and the nationwide network of Asda toYou drop-off points means they can now drop their pods off for recycling as part of their regular visit to the supermarket.”
