The aluminium pods can be recycled at home with a pod recycling machine or by using a teaspoon, washing it, and then placing it in the kerbside recycling
Sainsbury’s changes its own-brand coffee pod range from plastic to aluminium. (Credit: Sainsbury’s)
Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has changed its own-brand coffee pod range from plastic to aluminium pods making them fully recyclable.
Sainsbury’s said the aluminium pods can be recycled at home with a pod recycling machine or by using a teaspoon, washing it, and then placing it in the kerbside recycling.
According to the firm, the fully new recyclable aluminium packaging will help save over 10 million pieces of plastic each year.
The change will be seen across the entire Sainsbury’s coffee pod line and will enable consumers throughout the nation to recycle more at home, the firm said.
Along with the improvements to the packaging and cases, Sainsbury’s has also decreased the quantity of cardboard used across its whole product line by almost 20%.
Sainsbury’s claims to be the first store to mark its own-brand aluminium coffee pods as recyclable last year.
The packaging modification that Sainsbury’s is rolling out across its complete line of coffee pods this month will allow more people to recycle their coffee pods at home.
Along with at-home recycling, customers can also buy a Dualit EcoPress from Sainsbury’s online or in-store.
The device ensures that the coffee is separated from the aluminium and is prepared for recycling and thus making the process quicker and simpler, encouraging more people to recycle.
Sainsbury’s is assisting coffee drinkers in reducing their plastic waste, one pod at a time, with products like the blonde-inspired trends seen in the Signature Light Roast coffee and the short-shot Ristretto coffee.
The latest move of plastic reductions is a part of the retailer’s ongoing commitment to cut its own-brand plastic packaging in half by 2025.
In June this year, the company introduced its 1L refillable handwash pouches. These pouches use 85% less plastic than equivalent bottles, removing 28 tonnes of plastic annually, and are 35% less expensive.
Recently, the company launched new double-length toilet paper rolls, which reduced plastic packaging by 30%, saving 84 tonnes of plastic.