Coffee pod recycling scheme in Banbury reaches the one million milestone

The council, working alongside the not-for-profit organisation Podback has been collecting residents’ used coffee pods and recycling the materials that are used in them.

Launched at the end of May 2023, over 3,000 households in the region have signed up to the scheme, together recycling 1,048,397 pods weighing 16.4 tonnes.

Cllr Andrew McHugh, portfolio holder for cleaner and greener communities, said: “Waste reduction and recycling are key commitments for the council, but we can only make a real difference with the support of our communities.

“Reaching this million pods milestone only eight months into a new service is a real sign of residents’ commitment to environmental sustainability. Their efforts with coffee pods make an important contribution to our work to improve the district’s recycling rates, and, like all recycling, it saves energy and reduces reliance on the extraction of raw materials.”

Residents signed up to the scheme receive two free rolls of white or green bags, depending on whether they use aluminium or plastic pods. They can order more from the Podback website when they run out.

After collection, the pods are taken to reprocessing plants, where they are shredded to remove the coffee grounds. The plastic and aluminium are then transformed into new products, including drink cans, car components, building products, and garden furniture.

To find out more about the Podback scheme and to sign up, residents within the Cherwell region can visit www.cherwell.gov.uk/Podback