Councils start collecting coffee pods with recycling

The metal and plastic pods will be processed and turned into household items and car parts

People in Cheltenham and South Derbyshire are the first in the country to be able to recycle their coffee pods alongside their weekly household waste.

Residents can sign up to receive separate bags, which they fill and leave out for council collections.

The pods are then processed and made into items such as garden furniture, car parts and cans.

The coffee grounds are used to create biogas and soil improver.

There are plans to allow all brands of coffee pods to be recycled in the future

The Podback scheme was developed by some of the biggest coffee producers with Cheltenham Borough Council and South Derbyshire District Council the first local authorities to take part.

Currently only pods manufactured by Nespresso, Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Starbucks by Nespresso, Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Tassimo and L'OR can be left out for collection.

There are plans to allow other brands to be recycled in the future.

Collections began on May 10 and residents can check if they are able to register for the scheme by putting their postcode into the Podback website.

Gareth Edmundson, the chief executive of Cheltenham Borough Council, said: "We're pleased to offer our residents a simple way to recycle their coffee pods from their homes, particularly now many of us are doing more home working."

"Boosting recycling rates is an essential part of reducing our environmental impact and contributing to a circular economy," said Heather Wheeler, MP for South Derbyshire.

"We are proud to have the Nestle factory at Hatton so South Derbyshire taking the lead in recycling is complete fitting."