A SUPERMARKET chain, with stores in York, is set to offer customers a way to recycle coffee pods for free.

Over the coming weeks, Morrisons customers will be able to pick up free Podback Collect+ recycling bags from its customer service desks.

The Podback bags can be filled with used coffee pods at home, then taken to one of 6,500 collection points. All postage back to Podback is free of charge.

Through the scheme, used aluminium pods are turned into aluminium ingots for new products - such as beverage cans, and used plastic coffee pods are turned into other plastic items - such as furniture. The used coffee grounds also go through anaerobic digestion - to produce a combination of biogas and soil improver.

Lorraine Wheeler, environmental packaging manager at Morrisons, said: “Many of our customers want to brew fresh coffee at home using a coffee pod. But to date, coffee pod recycling has been confusing for consumers, with several different schemes by multiple brands. Podback offers an easy, simple scheme for all of our customers.”

The partnership with Podback is part of a wide ranging waste reduction initiative. Since 2017, Morrisons has reduced its own brand plastic packaging by over 8,000 tonnes a year.