How big brands are tackling recycling head on

Recycling is top priority for the majority of businesses (and the whole planet). One well known company, Nestlé, is forging an easier way to implement recycling into their products' lifecycle by joining forces with local authorities to create a joint coffee pod recycling scheme. 

Nestlé has partnered with Jacobs Douwe Egberts UK to create a "first of its kind recycling programme for coffee pods. Both these companies own a number of coffee pod brands including Nespresso, Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Tassimo."

Discussions have been ongoing with councils across the UK to organise having coffee pods to be collected from the kerbside. Podback, a not-for-profit organisation, is the “UK’s first cross-industry collaboration of its kind within the coffee sector, providing several easy ways for UK consumers to recycle their coffee pods.”

Podback will offer the following 3 options to recycle your coffee pods:

1. Collect+: You’ll be able to take your used coffee pods to your nearest Collect+ delivered by Yodal drop-off point. Fortunately there are over 6500 drop-off points in local stores across the UK which are open 7 days a week.
2. Kerbside collection: At the moment only Exeter, Cheltenham and Derbsyshire councils are in advanced discussions with Podback to become the first confirmed partners which means more than 330,000 residents living in these areas will be able to have their pods collected kerbside. Podback are currently in “live discussions with several other local authorities” but is Essex one of them?
3. Retailer ‘handover at home’: Podback are in ongoing discussions with retailers to facilitate a ‘handover at home’ option which means that consumers can have their coffee pods collected for recycling when they have their groceries delivered. Although unlikely to launch Podback is working hard to make it a reality.

This scheme is set to launch in early 2021 and will cover brands including Nespresso, Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Tassimo with big plans to expand the programme to include all coffee brands that use plastic or aluminium pods.

What product or brand would you like to see follow in their footsteps?