Longridge Environment Group cuts eco cost of coffee with Podback scheme

An eco friendly team effort is cutting the environmental cost of coffee made with pod machines.
By Fiona Finch
Published 21st Jan 2022, 04:55 BST
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Longridge Environment Group is urging coffee drinkers who use such machines to recycle the pods.

LEG spokeswoman Margaret Baugh said members decided to follow the example of Preston where a couple from the Plastic Free Preston (Surfers Against Sewage) group organised a pod collection at a local church and decided to extend the initiative further afield. LEG was asked if it would like would like to join and in turn LEG persuaded Longridge Town Council to provide two huge recycling bins for the foil and plastic pods.

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Regional charity the The North West Air Ambulance charity gave permission for the bins to be sited inside their very large charity shop on Berry Lane, Longridge.

Longridge Environment Group member Margaret Baugh recycles coffee pods watched by Jill Wright co-manager of the North West Air Ambulance shop in Longridge Photo: Neil CrossLongridge Environment Group member Margaret Baugh recycles coffee pods watched by Jill Wright co-manager of the North West Air Ambulance shop in Longridge Photo: Neil Cross
Longridge Environment Group member Margaret Baugh recycles coffee pods watched by Jill Wright co-manager of the North West Air Ambulance shop in Longridge Photo: Neil Cross

The pods are then collected by LEG members Cathy and Paul Scivier who take the pods to local company Reycling Lives for recycling.

The pod return system is also part of a wider Podback initiative. Margaret said: "Podback was set up and is funded by coffee pod companies to pay for the recycling of the empty coffee pods. There are various methods being set up across the UK to make recycling of coffee pods easier for users to avoid the empty pods being put in landfill or causing even more pollution by being incinerated."

Urging local residents and businesses with pod machines to join the recycling drive she said: " Otherwise all these pods just go into the general recycling and they land up in landfill - a waste of resources."

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She added: "You can buy refillable pods that then stops them having to be recycled in the first place."

Longridge Environment Group member Margaret Baugh, (pictured centre), is urging coffee pod users to recycle the pods at the North West Air Ambulance shop on Berry Lane, Longridge Photo:Neil CrossLongridge Environment Group member Margaret Baugh, (pictured centre), is urging coffee pod users to recycle the pods at the North West Air Ambulance shop on Berry Lane, Longridge Photo:Neil Cross
Longridge Environment Group member Margaret Baugh, (pictured centre), is urging coffee pod users to recycle the pods at the North West Air Ambulance shop on Berry Lane, Longridge Photo:Neil Cross

* Another LEG intitiative, the Plastic Free Market in Longridge re-starts for 2022 this Saturday January 22nd from 10am - 2pm, with a variety of stalls outside the Old Station Buildings, off Berry Lane. Stalls will include Going-Eco where refills of different products are available.

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