Co-op widens coffee pod recycling rollout
Co-op is expanding coffee pod recycling to more than 200 stores after a trial with Podback. The rollout has started in south-west England and South Wales, following a 30-store pilot that returned over 500,000 used pods. Podback handles plastic and aluminium pods, recovering the materials and converting coffee grounds into biogas and soil improver.
The Co-op is adding pod collection points at over 200 shops, beginning in south-west England and South Wales. This follows a 30-store pilot from November 2025, which included its sustainability showcase outlets, such as one in Attleborough, Norfolk, used to trial environmental and energy-saving concepts. That pilot collected more than half a million used pods.
Podback, the recycling service behind the scheme, takes plastic and aluminium pods from member brands. It has over 1,500 UK drop-off locations. The process recovers those materials, while coffee grounds become biogas and a soil improver for farming.
The expansion could make recycling more convenient for households that use pod machines, especially in the south-west and South Wales. Local Co-op stores may benefit from extra visits, while Podback may recover more plastic, aluminium and coffee grounds. If participation grows, the scheme may keep useful materials in circulation and turn grounds into energy and soil products, though its overall effect will depend on how many customers use the drop-off points.