Podback sees Cheltenham recycle 500,000 coffee pods
The rollout of the Podback recycling service across Cheltenham has seen at least 500,000 coffee pods being collected since being set up in April 2021.
Residents are required to register online and order free recycling bags to place used pods in, which can be put out for kerbside collection with ordinary waste and recycling. Both plastic and aluminium pods are able to be recycled, with eligible residents being provided pamphlets from 29 November providing all of the relevant information on how to get involved.
Once collected from the kerbside, the coffee pods are sent to be reprocessed in the UK. The coffee grounds are used to create soil improver and renewable energy; the plastic and aluminium are recycled into other new products.
Podback claims that its service will help the council increase its recycling rate from 51 per cent and to its target of 55 per cent by 2025.
Councillor Iain Dobie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Street Services, commented: “We were the first council to launch the Podback service which supports our commitment to tackle climate change. Cheltenham residents are incredibly motivated to recycle and their engagement with the service has been impressive with an estimated half a million pods collected so far.
“With growing concerns about the environment, it’s good to know more and more people in Cheltenham are doing their bit for the planet. Thank you for supporting the Podback service.”
UK's first postcode-specific recycling tool launched
Valpak, WRAP and Provenance.org have partnered to launch a tool that delivers location-specific recycling instructions in order to help shoppers find out where and how to recycle packaging locally.
The Recycle Router uses a postcode lookup and is accessible through scanning on-pack QR codes. Information provided by the tool includes whether users can recycle specific packaging via kerbside collection, as well as identifying the nearest centre that will process certain packaging materials.
Valpak CEO, Steve Gough, commented: “As a strategic partner to leading brands and retailers, and a champion of robust recycling and waste programmes, we’re thrilled to partner with an organisation like Provenance working at the forefront of sustainability and technology. We’ve heard from brands who want to take greater ownership of their products’ post-purchase impact. With Provenance, we’re excited to be enabling this by solving regional inconsistencies and easing shopper confusion with actionable instructions.”
Jessi Baker, CEO and founder of Provenance, said: “Brands making genuine and significant investments in positive social and environmental impact, including sustainable packaging, are unable to cut through the noise of unfounded and inconsistent impact claims. Recycle Router allows brands to differentiate themselves at the point of purchase by claiming credit for genuine recyclability while empowering shoppers with clear, localised guidance on packaging disposal options.”
Global food waste management market expected to reach $54.29 billion by 2028
According to a study by Polaris Market Research, the global food waste management market is expected to reach USD 54.29 billion by 2028, equivalent to GBP 41.01 billion.
The report notes that the fruits and vegetables market segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020. Challenges for this category were due to a lack of storage capacity and proper handling and processing of the agricultural produce were also responsible for its high share.
According to the report, improving a distribution network with a well-developed supply chain would enable food-management stakeholders to reduce waste and is expected to have a positive impact on margins within the supply chain.
The dairy industry segment is projected to register a market growth by 2028. This is due its highly perishable nature and the current lack of cold storage facilities, meaning small fluctuations in temperature can damage the product quality.
The cereals segment is anticipated to witness a moderate market growth rate over the same period, the study attributing this to consumer’s negligence towards product expiry dates, lack of knowledge to store and preserve cereals for a longer time.
Market participants operating in the waste management industry include Veolia, Suez, Waste Management, Inc., Republic Services, Inc., Covanta Ltd., and Stericycle, Inc.
Get our weekly digest
resource.co article ai
How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.