Coffee pod recycling collections in Exeter

Council aims to reduce waste

People in Exeter can take advantage of a new kerbside recycling service for plastic and aluminium coffee pods, the City Council has announced.
Starting on 24 January, Exeter residents will be able to have their coffee pods collected from home.

The City Council has teamed up with Podback, a not-for-profit coffee recycling service, to offer the free collections.
People will need to register for the new service and will then receive special collection bags provided by Podback. The bags will then be collected by the Council on a weekly basis as part of recycling and household waste collections.

Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for City Management, said the new service supported the Council’s aims to reduce waste, increase recycling and tackle climate change: “This is great news for Exeter. We’ve been looking for a recycling solution for these pods for some time, so it’s fantastic that they can now be recycled from the kerbside. Podback is funding the service, so it is cost neutral.”

Once collected, the coffee pods will be sent for reprocessing to separate the packaging from the coffee grounds. The coffee grounds will be used to create soil improver and renewable energy. The plastic and aluminium will be transformed into new products
Recycling items uses less energy than manufacturing from raw materials, saving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions generated by throwing items away in landfill and even incineration.

Exeter residents registering for the service will be sent two rolls of bags - plus a caddy if they use NESCAFE Dolce Gusto coffee pods – for the recycling of their aluminium or plastic coffee pods along with an instructional leaflet.
The pods can then be put outside in either the specially provided bags or the caddy for kerbside collection along with their other waste and recycling on their normal collection day. People must register to take advantage of the service and the pods will only be collected if placed in the provided bags or caddy. 
For more information on the service visit the City Council website http://exeter.gov.uk/podback/