Oxford households recycle more than 2.3m coffee pods

The pods, once they have been used by consumers at home, can be left out by residents for collection.

ODS, working on behalf of Oxford City Council, collects these pods along with other household recycling and waste.

The process of recycling the products is managed by Podback, a non-profit organisation specialising in coffee pod recycling.

It has been three years since ODS partnered with Podback, and in that period, nearly 3,500 households have registered for the service.

This collective effort has helped to remove almost 28 tonnes of materials from the waste stream.

Councillor Nigel Chapman, cabinet member for citizen focused services and council companies, said: "It’s easy for residents to join this scheme.

Councillor Nigel Chapman (Image: Oxford Labour)

"Simply register with Podback.org and request their free Podback bags. You can then put them out on top of your green or blue bin lid on collection day.

"Tea and hot chocolate pods are also accepted. Depending on whether you use aluminium or plastic pods, you’ll receive white or green bags, so different materials to be separated to make recycling easier."

He added: "The last three years has proved Oxford residents are enthusiastic about recycling their coffee pods.

"I want to encourage anyone who hasn’t tried this yet to sign up so we can make sure the scheme continues to grow."

Michelle Bradbury, ODS recycling and waste team leader, added: "We are delighted that residents have already recycled over 2.3 million coffee pods, saving valuable resources.

"This milestone demonstrates how much people value this service. The service is cost-neutral and an excellent way for us to enhance our service to residents.”

Once collected, the coffee pods undergo a recycling process at specialist plants within the UK.

They are shredded to remove the coffee while the plastic and aluminium elements are converted into new products, such as packaging, car components and building products.

The coffee grounds are treated by anaerobic digestion to create renewable energy and soil improver.

Podback’s executive director, Rick Hindley, said: “Recycling over 2.3 million pods is an impressive milestone for Oxford to have reached, and we’re delighted that the Podback service has been so well-received and well-supported by residents across the city.

"With over 80 per cent of coffee pod brands sold in the UK now included in the Podback service, we hope more residents will start saving their pods for recycling and that you’ll soon be marking another collection milestone."

Aluminium pods are reprocessed in Cheshire, while plastic pods are reprocessed in East Yorkshire.