North Yorkshire Council in the UK has teamed up with Podback, a coffee pod recycling service, to launch a coffee pods disposal service at recycling centres to reduce waste.
As part of this initiative, the partners are offering containers at local household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).
The containers are available at all household waste recycling centres excluding Leyburn, Settle, and Wombleton.
The service accepts used coffee pods, as well as tea, milk, and hot chocolate pods.
It requires the separation of plastic and aluminium pods due to their processing at different recycling facilities.
Once collected, the pods are sent to specialist plants where they are repurposed into new products such as packaging materials, car components, and building products.
North Yorkshire Council waste service executive member councillor Greg White said: “We are excited to be working with Podback to introduce another recycling stream at the HWRCs for residents. Coffee drinkers can now enjoy their coffee knowing their pods can be recycled and go on to be made into new products, renewable energy and improve the soil.”
The process of recycling these items is more energy-efficient than producing new materials from scratch.
This helps conserve resources and reduce carbon emissions that result from disposing of waste in landfills or through incineration.
Podback executive director Rick Hindley said: “It’s great to be able to expand our service to North Yorkshire’s household waste recycling centres. We want to make coffee pod recycling as easy as possible, and this new service enables residents to drop off pods when convenient, alongside other recyclables, helping to reduce waste and increase recycling.”
Podback is a not-for-profit organisation, established and financed by leading coffee pod system brands such as NESCAFE Dolce Gusto, Tassimo, Nespresso, and over 25 other coffee pod brands and national retailers.
All pods collected by Podback are recycled within the UK.
Last month, Podback partnered with County Durham Council in England to launch new recycling points for coffee machine pods at four locations in the county.
