The return bins from coffee pod recycling scheme ‘Podback’ is launching in 29 stores this month.
Used aluminium and plastic pods will be turned into new products including drinks cans, plastic crates and garden furniture.
The move which is being trialled in 29 stores is in partnership with Podback, the specialist pod recycling service.
In an effort to make coffee pod recycling even easier and more convenient, Morrisons is trialling a new drop-off service which allows customers to collect their Podback recycling bags, fill them up with their used pods, and recycle in a dedicated bin which will be sited at the front of the store.
Last year, Morrisons announced it was the first supermarket to support Podback and remains the only one to provide free coffee pod recycling bags for its customers to collect in all of its stores. The recycling bags can be filled at home and be taken to one of 6,500 Yodel drop off points around the UK with all postage covered by Podback.
Over the last year, it's estimated 800 million coffee pods were bought in the UK, making it even more important than ever for customers to have an easier route to recycle their pods.
Morrisons is also set to become a dedicated Podback member, meaning Morrisons own-brand pods can all be recycled through the scheme, besides 24 other pod brands across the coffee sector.
Customers need to use correctly colour coded bags, there's one for aluminium pods and one for plastic pods. This is because pods are separated and sent to different recycling processing plants in the UK.
Through Podback, used aluminium pods are turned back into aluminium ingots for new products, like beverage cans, and the used plastic coffee pods are turned into other plastic items, including building products and plastic crates. And there's more! The used coffee grounds go through a special anaerobic digestion process, which makes useful biogas and soil improver.
Natasha Cook, who is the Sustainable Packaging and Plastics Manager at Morrisons, said: “We’re excited to be launching this trial with Podback as we look to make it even easier for our customers who want to brew fresh coffee at home to recycle their used coffee pods. Now they can grab a Podback bag, fill it at home and just drop it off on their next store trip.”
Rick Hindley, the Executive Director at Podback, said: “Morrisons was the first supermarket to become a supporter of Podback and we’re thrilled that they’re now set to become a member; enabling their own brand pods to be recycled through the service and working with us to further improve access to coffee pod recycling by trialling a new drop-off system.
"This is another exciting step forward towards providing consumers with easy and convenient ways to recycle their used coffee pods. We also welcome and encourage other retailers to join Podback and make it even easier for consumers to recycle pods in the future.”
Morrisons stores across the UK currently offer soft plastic, battery and inkjet recycling facilities. Since 2017 Morrisons has reduced its own brand plastic packaging in its 499 stores by over 10,000 tonnes a year.
The following Morrisons stores now offer Podback drop off points with more stores to follow:
Aldershot
Letchworth
Aylesbury
Melton Mowbray
Banbury
Milton Keynes
Basingstoke
Northampton – Kettering Road
Bedford
Northampton – Victoria Promenade
Bracknell
Reading
Carterton
St Albans
Corby
Shefford
Farnborough
Watford
Fleet
Wellingborough
High Wycombe
Welwyn Garden City
Hoddersdon
Weybridge
Houghton Regis
Woking
Kettering
Wokingham
Leighton Buzzard