re3 is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its pod recycling service with a significant milestone.
The waste management partnership has seen more than 1.3 million coffee pods recycled from the Bracknell Forest, Reading, and Wokingham Boroughs.
Thanks to the collaboration with Podback, a nationwide coffee pod recycling service, the partnership has diverted more than 21 tonnes of materials from the general waste stream, helping to reduce the disposal cost and save the carbon footprint.
Collection of aluminium and plastic coffee pods started at the area’s household recycling centres in July 2023.
Residents are asked to save pods at home in any bag or container, and tip them loose into the designated Podback containers when they are visiting the recycling centre.
Aluminium and plastic pods need to be collected separately, not mixed together, as they are sent to different recycling facilities.
In a joint statement re3 Joint Waste Disposal Board Members: Cllr Karen Rowland, chairman of the joint waste disposal board and Reading Borough Council’s lead councillor for environmental services and community safety, Cllr Jordan Montgomery, Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for environment and climate mmergency, and Cllr Helen Purnell, Bracknell Forest Council’s executive member for the environment and community cohesion, said: “We are all impressed by the participation of our residents in this service, and we hope that the recycling habit will continue to brew locally in the coming months.
“Coffee might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but certainly, recycling 1.3 million pods — equivalent to seven pods per household within the first year — is a significant achievement.
“This milestone demonstrates how important it is to recycle every single item and shows how our collective efforts can make a real difference.
“On this occasion, small items like coffee pods enabled us to divert over 21 tonnes of valuable materials for recycling, saving both resources and money.
“With Podback funding the service, it remains cost-neutral and provides an excellent way for us to enhance our recycling service for residents.”
Podback executive director Rick Hindley added: “Recycling one million pods is an impressive milestone for re3 councils to have reached, and we’re delighted that the Podback service has been so well-received and well-supported by residents across Bracknell, Reading and Wokingham Boroughs.
“With more than 80% of coffee pod brands sold in the UK now included in the Podback service, we hope more residents will start saving their pods for recycling and that you’ll soon be marking another collection milestone!”
Podback is a nationwide, not-for-profit recycling service created by the biggest names in coffee pod systems, Nestle and Jacobs Douwe Egberts UK, to provide simple and convenient ways for consumers to recycle.
Once collected, the coffee pods are sent to specialist recycling plants within the UK.
The pods are shredded to remove the coffee, and the plastic and aluminium are transformed into new products, including packaging, car components and building products.
The coffee grounds are treated by anaerobic digestion to create renewable energy and soil improvers.
