Bad news for coffee drinkers in Bedford as council says it has no plans to introduce kerbside coffee pod recycling scheme

Used coffee pods waiting to be collected by CBC - in CBC's kerbside bag and another Podback branded one. Image: LDRS

It’s bad news for environmentally conscious coffee drinkers in Bedford – as while Central Beds Council has introduced a free kerbside recycling scheme for pods, Bedford council has no plans to follow suit.

Instead, Bedford borough residents are “encouraged” to use one of the existing schemes.

Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) said 800 million coffee pods were bought in the UK last year, adding its free-to-use recycling scheme will work for a “wide range” of coffee, tea and hot chocolate pods.

These pods can be recycled into cans, car parts or construction materials, and the coffee grounds can be treated to produce renewable energy (biogas) or make soil improver.

When the CBC scheme was launched in January, Podback executive director, Rick Hindley, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Central Bedfordshire Council to offer residents the option to recycle coffee pods as part of their council’s regular service.

“Recycling with Podback means tonnes of used pods will be removed from the household waste stream every year and the aluminium, plastic and coffee will all be given a new life.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Bedford Borough Council if it had looked at running a similar scheme.

A council spokesperson said: “While we haven’t specifically explored this matter, there are numerous existing schemes available to the public for the free return of coffee pods.

“These initiatives are aimed at promoting environmental responsibility and reducing waste.

“We encourage residents to take advantage of these programs [sic] and contribute to our collective efforts in fostering a greener and more sustainable environment.”