Asda claims that 20 million coffee pods have been returned to its stores as part of Podback’s recycling scheme, with over 250,000 Podback bags received via Asda’s toYou counters since January 2025.
Asda states that it currently has the most extensive network of Podback return points of any UK retailer and is ‘the only supermarket’ supporting Podback in Northern Ireland. The company has highlighted its Asda Longwell Green store in Bristol, where customers are reportedly returning an average of 51 bags per week.
Coffee pods are difficult to recycle through kerbside collections due to their small size and organic residues. Through the Podback partnership, customers can fill a Podback bag with used pods and drop it at any participating Asda toYou counter.
All returned pods are recycled in the UK. The retailer adds that coffee grounds are converted into renewable energy and soil improver, while the aluminium and plastic are transformed into new products such as drinks cans, building materials and garden furniture.
Rick Hindley, executive director of Podback, said: “The first year of our partnership with Asda has been a very positive experience. We’ve seen the number of pods being returned through Asda toYou grow across the year, proving that if recycling is simple and convenient people will make it a part of their regular routine.”
In July 2025, Podback and Morrisons claimed to have recycled over 10 million coffee pods during the year so far, with the top performing Morrisons store recycling 5 tonnes in just over six months. Since Podback’s bins were installed, Morrisons said it had also seen a 17% increase in customers recycling other items including soft plastics, batteries, ink cartridges and vapes.
A few months later, Co-op announced it was the ‘first’ UK convenience retailer to partner with Podback, aiming to make it easier for customers and members to recycle used coffee pods in-store. The six-month trial saw Podback-branded recycling units installed in 30 Co-op stores across southwest England and in Co-op’s three sustainability showcase stores in Leeds, Soham, and Northampton.
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