Costa Coffee Ramps Up Recycling Commitments

Share
Podback & Costa Coffee have partnered up
Costa Coffee has set up dozens of in-store recycling points across the UK in partnership with coffee pod recycling scheme Podback

Costa Coffee has partnered with Podback to ramp up its coffee pod recycling, pursuing greater sustainability and circularity.

Podback is one of the biggest coffee pod recycling services in the UK.

The company will help Costa Coffee establish consumer-facing recycling points, including recycling bags and convenient drop-off locations for used coffee pods. 

This will be rolled out in a five-month trial starting in August at 142 select Costa Coffee outlets in the UK.

Outlets will include 133 counters within Tesco stores and nine key high street spots in Swindon.

The blueprint for action

Liz Higgins, Costa Coffee’s Global Head of Sustainability

"We are always looking for new ways to make it easier for our customers to recycle our packaging," says Liz Higgins, Costa Coffee's Head of Sustainability.

"Through this trial with Podback, in-store drop-off points will offer coffee pod users the chance to conveniently recycle their pods with us – whether they are Costa branded or not."

The Podback scheme, which includes member brands like Starbucks and Nescafé has been warmly welcomed by consumers, who report it enhances their capacity to balance sustainability with daily life. 

Rick Hindley, Podback’s Executive Director

"This trial gives Podback customers the opportunity to drop off their used pods at local Costa Coffee stores, a response to customer feedback telling us people want a choice of ways to recycle that fit with their daily lives." says Rick Hindley, Podback’s Executive Director.

 Circular pod recycling 

Youtube Placeholder

The subsequent recycling operation divides aluminium and plastic pods, directing them to distinct UK-based facilities for recycling. 

Aluminium is utilised in the production of beverage cans and auto parts while recycled plastic pods transition into packaging crates and construction materials. 

Moreover, Podback ingeniously repurposes spent coffee grounds, channeling them to anaerobic digestion plants to generate biogas and fertiliser, creating a completely circular approach to waste. 

Costa's partnership with Podback follows a history of sustainability. 

The manufacturer previously collaborated with Valpak to introduce the UK's National Cup Recycling Scheme in 2018, attracting participation from other prominent coffee retailers like Pret A Manger, McDonald’s and Burger King. 

This collective effort highlights the importance of food and beverage manufacturers coming together to uphold and redefine sustainable standards.

Creating opportunities for future sustainability

Catherine David, Director of Behaviour Change and Business Programmes at the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)

"The trial with Costa Coffee is a fantastic way to normalise and simplify recycling coffee pods," says Catherine David, WRAP's Director of Behaviour Change and Business Programmes.

"Due to their multiple component materials, these pods must be sent to a specialist recycling facility

"Now, customers can easily drop them off in any participating Costa Coffee store.

"Making recycling simple is key to success, and capturing trickier items like pods at scale is an important step forward."

As the trial progresses, its impact may set the stage for broader implementation throughout the UK coffee sector.

Rick Hindley is optimistic about this potential.

"We are excited to be working with Costa Coffee and Tesco to make this a reality in more than 140 locations across the country," he says.

"We are sure Podback customers will welcome the new service, and hope that it is the first step to rolling out more drop-off locations throughout the UK."

****** 

Make sure you check out the latest edition of Manufacturing Digital and also sign up to our global conference series - Procurement & Supply Chain 2024 & Sustainability LIVE 2024
******
Manufacturing Digital is a BizClik brand.

Share

Featured Articles

Shiseido & Accenture: AI-the Best Skincare Solution?

As the beauty industry grows ultra competitive, Shiseido has partnered with Accenture to set themselves apart from the competition through Industry 4.0

Assembling the Future: Huawei's New Smart Factory Offerings

Huawei's raft of solutions, augmented by its capabilities in AI, cloud and 5G place the tech titan in a place to revolutionise manufacturing

Tata & Analog Devices Drive Indian Electronics Manufacturing

Tata and semiconductor firm Analog Devices have partnered to drive the growth of India's electronics manufacturing ecosystem

UK Manufacturing Day: The Experts Weigh In

Production & Operations

Verizon: Available vs Confidential Data & IIOT Cybersecurity

Smart Manufacturing

Amazon & Covariant: Transforming Warehouse Automation

AI & Automation