British franchise Pret A Manger has become the first food-to-go retailer in the UK to partner with the Podback recycling scheme.
Pret A Manger customers will be able to recycle their coffee pods through Collect+, taking Podback recycling bags, filled with used coffee pods, to their nearest drop-off point. Initially, Pret customers will be able to order recycling bags alongside their regular coffee pod order, with the bags set to be rolled out across UK shops later this year.
As an alternative to the Collect+ process, customers will also be able to recycle their pods via kerbside collections in Cheltenham, South Derbyshire, Chichester, Oxford, Ipswich, Exeter and Waltham Forest, London. Coverage is expected to widen this year, with variations between how each council will run the collection service.
Podback, created by Nestlé and Jacobs Douwe Egberts UK (JDE UK), was introduced in April 2021 – becoming the UK’s first nationwide, not-for-profit coffee pod recycling service. Once recycled, used aluminium pods are turned into ingots and used in the manufacture of new products – such as beverage cans – whilst used coffee grounds are processed through anaerobic digestion to produce a combination of biogas and soil improver.
Last month, Morrisons launched its partnership with Podback – becoming the first UK supermarket chain to deliver an in-store coffee pod recycling scheme. Using the Podback Collect+ recycling bags from Morrisons, customers can fill the bags with used coffee pods at home and then take them to one of Podback’s 6,500 Collect+ drop off points.
Commenting on Pret A Manger’s involvement in the scheme, 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.”
Guy Meakin, UK Managing Director of Pret A Manger said: “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.”
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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.