Supermarket chain Morrisons set a new sustainability milestone by recycling 197 tonnes of coffee pods in the first half of 2025.

The initiative allows customers to collect Podback recycling bags from Morrisons stores and return them to earn Podback points.

There was a positive consumer response, marked by over 24,000 coffee pods collected. The pods are then recycled to produce car components, drinking cans, and building products, while the coffee grounds are used to create renewable energy and as a soil improver.

Natasha Keighley, Packaging Manager at Morrisons, said: “We are incredibly proud to have helped our customers recycle more than 10 million coffee pods in just six months.

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“It is clear that when we make recycling simple and accessible, people want to do the right thing. The success of the Podback rollout, and the positive impact it has had on other recycling streams too, shows how partnerships like this can help us all to waste less and recycle more.”

The scheme was trialled in July 2023. Between January and July, Morrisons rolled out the units at 411 stores.

Additionally, the initiative left a positive environmental footprint, with customer recycling of products such as soft plastics, batteries, ink cartridges, and vapes going up by 17%.

The news comes as other supermarket retailers are also pushing towards sustainability, with M&S introducing a new system that tracks plastic recycling with UV tags.