In the latest instalment of our guest blog series, we hear from Katie Colvin, UK Marketing Manager at illy caffè, about how Podback’s variety of recycling options and wide range of drop-off points is helping illy to achieve its sustainability goals in the UK.
***
Founded on the streets of Trieste in 1933 and still run by the family, illy has grown to become Italy’s #1 Premium Coffee Brand[1]. We are proud to have been at the forefront of innovation in the coffee industry. From the launch of our illetta machine in 1935, which provided the blueprint for modern espresso machines, to the creation of our unique Iperespresso system, we are constantly striving to improve the quality of coffee for our customers.
Part of this innovation was becoming the first company to introduce single-serve pod coffee to the market in 1974. Since that launch, the model has remained central to our offering to provide the perfect quality espresso, even though the pods have developed significantly. Now, we provide both plastic, aluminium and compostable coffee pods to customers across our markets, allowing consumers to enjoy illy’s distinct aroma and velvety texture from the comfort of their home with a range of methods.
As a B-Corp accredited company that prioritises sustainability in our operations, it has been important to us to find ways to responsibly recycle our pods once they have been used. With 89% of the UK population now saying that they always make an effort to recycle,[2] we have seen customers increasingly interested press us to make sure we are supporting them to do this.
So, when we launched the subsidiary illy caffè UK branch in 2019, we started working with a recycling company to help our customers responsibly dispose of their products. While customers appreciated having the option to recycle pods, we soon ran into problems around the lack of drop-off points and the multiple forms of pods that we produced.
Having worked with Podback in a previous role, Podback felt like the right fit, with the same ethos and goals when it came to coffee pod recycling. A major factor in us working together was the fact that the scheme could provide recycling for both our plastic (Iperespresso) and aluminium (Nespresso compatible) pod customers.
The response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. We soon discovered that many had been storing pods until we had joined Podback, to ensure that they were recycled. We’ve also seen over 55% of pod orders on our website now adding a Podback bag to their order.
With espresso-based coffee so tied into illy’s heritage and history, we are delighted to be able to provide a service that aims to make recycling pods as simple as possible for our customers. We’re looking forward to working with Podback as they continue to evolve the service and provide even more drop-off options.
Through Podback, used aluminium and plastic pods are reprocessed in the UK. Recycled aluminium pods are used in the manufacture of beverage cans and car components, and plastic coffee pods are recycled into durable plastic products including furniture and industrial packaging.