Around 39,000 coffee capsules are produced around the world every minute | Photo credit: Kous9 Studio

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Pret A Manger has joined a growing number of coffee pod brands that can be collected and recycled through the UK-based Podback scheme.
 
Created by Nestlé and Jacobs Douwe Egberts UK (JDE UK), Podback is the UK’s first nationwide, not-for-profit service providing customers with several easy ways to recycle their coffee pods, whether they are aluminium or plastic.
 
Through Podback, used aluminium pods are turned into ingots and used in the manufacture of new products, such as beverage cans. Meanwhile, spent coffee grounds are processed through anaerobic digestion to produce biogas and fertiliser.
 
“We’re always looking for new ways to reduce our impact on the environment, whether through introducing coffee cup recycling stations in-shop or our 50p reusable cup discount. Now that our coffee is increasingly enjoyed in homes around the country, we wanted to find a solution that would help our customers recycle their Pret coffee pods easily. We’re excited to join the Podback scheme to make this possible,” said Guy Meakin, UK Managing Director, Pret A Manger.
 
Rick Hindley, Executive Director of Podback, said: “Pret is the first food-to-go retailer to join Podback as a member. Expanding the scheme to include more brands has been one of our priorities since launching last year, so we’re thrilled to have Pret on-board. We welcome other retailers and brands to join to make it the scheme even more inclusive for consumers.”
 
Pret customers will be able to order Podback recycling bags with coffee pod orders from grocery delivery firm, Ocado, which can then be deposited at more than 6,500 collection points across the UK. Pret is also aiming to make recycling bags available at its UK stores later this year.

Brands that can be recycled via Podback include Nespresso, Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Starbucks by Nespresso, Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Tassimo, L’OR, CruKafe and Artisan Coffee Co, Allpress Espresso, Colonna Coffee, Café Palmieri by Jomad Coffee and Pret A Manger.
 
In February 2022, UK supermarket giant Morrisons partnered with Podback to offer customers coffee pod recycling bags from its stores.
 
Research conducted by Packaging Online indicates that around 350,000 coffee pods end up in UK landfill sites every year, with each pod taking up to 500 years to completely degrade if not disposed of responsibly. The same research showed that around 39,000 coffee capsules are produced around the world every minute.