City recycles more than 2.3 million coffee pods

More than 2.3 million used coffee pods have been recycled across Oxford, the city council has announced.

Oxford Direct Services (ODS), which works on behalf of Oxford City Council, collects the pods for them to be then processed by not-for-profit recycling service Podback.

ODS said that about 3,500 households had signed up to use the service since the beginning of their collaboration three years ago.

Podback’s executive director Rick Hindley said that was "an impressive milestone for Oxford to have reached".

The council said that used coffee pods, as well as those for tea and hot chocolate, could be left out for collection on top of households' bins with green or blue lid.

Nigel Chapman, cabinet member for citizen focused services and council companies, said the last three years "has proved Oxford residents are enthusiastic about recycling their coffee pods".

Aluminium pods are reprocessed in plants in Cheshire and plastic ones in East Yorkshire.

The plastic and aluminium are transformed into new products, including packaging, car components and building products, the council said.

The coffee grounds are processed by local anaerobic digestion facilities which produces biogas and soil improver.

Michelle Bradbury, ODS recycling and waste team leader, said the service, which is funded by Podback, was "cost-neutral and an excellent way for us to enhance our service to residents".

Earlier in the year, Cherwell District Council reported on the recycling of a million coffee pods in the first eight months of its collaboration with Podback.

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