Morrisons has rolled out dedicated in-store recycling coffee pod collection points, in a first for UK supermarkets.

The new nationwide scheme in partnership with pod recycling service Podback, will see shoppers able to drop off bags of used aluminium and plastic pods in 350 Morrisons stores from June.

It follows a successful trial in 29 stores in July 2023, which was extended from its initial 8-week trial period following its popularity with customers. By the end of March this year, the initiative had seen 42,300kgs of pods collected, equivalent to 2.8m pods.

The first supermarket to support the recycling service, Morrisons customers have already been able to pick up free Podback recycling bags from the supermarket’s customer service desks since 2022.

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However, with the launch of the new in-store scheme, customers are now also able to drop off filled bags back in Morrisons stores.

Morrisons waste and sustainability manager Zara Safdari said: “Coffee pods have continued to grow in popularity over recent years, with many household brands now offering a variety of pods to brew fresh coffee in minutes at home.

“Picking up Podback bags while doing a supermarket shop and dropping them back, filled, on further shopping trips makes it easy for consumers to recycle their used coffee pods.

“We’re pleased to be extending this service to make it even easier for our customers who want barista style coffee at home to recycle their used pods.”

Podback executive director Rick Hindley added: “The in-store drop-off trial proved an immediate success with recyclers, and the volume of pods collected through the trial has continued to grow month-on-month.

“Podback is committed to making pod recycling simple and convenient for lovers of pod coffee, and adding a national supermarket to our network of free recycling points is a major step forward towards our goal.”

The scheme comes as the latest in-store customer-facing initiative the supermarket giant has implemented in recent months, as new CEO Rami Baitiéh pledges to “refresh” the grocery retailer.