Nespresso customers have expressed frustration over the company’s recycling scheme, complaining that returning used coffee pods has become increasingly difficult.
The process is marketed as seamless and “planet-friendly” but many users say they have been confounded by failed collections, shifting drop-off points and disappearing shops.
“If you want to recycle your Nespresso pods, then don’t bother,” said Louise Jess, of Leigh-on-Sea in Essex.
“The drop-off point changes every single time you have saved up enough pods to fill the recycling bag. It used to be relatively easy. You were able to leave them at a local Evri drop-off point, and most small convenience stores offer this service. Now the list of drop-off points has changed again, none of which are convenient and are a car journey away.”
Nespresso shops are becoming scarce in the UK
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Her irritation echoes dozens of online posts from customers who say the company’s partnership with Royal Mail, introduced in 2023, has meant they are unable to recycle.
When the scheme was launched, Nespresso said it would make sustainability “easier than ever”, promising free Royal Mail doorstep collections and the option to drop recycling bags at more than 11,000 Post Offices.
However, discussions on Reddit and Mumsnet show annoyance over missed collections and confusing instructions. One user wrote on Reddit: “Royal Mail didn’t collect the bags. They sent an email saying ‘We were unable to fulfil your collection request’. I rebooked it and they still didn’t turn up.” Another commented that they had “never yet had a successful collection”.
On Mumsnet, a contributor described the new system as “infuriating”, adding: “Nespresso seems to change the recycling process every few months — it’s enough to put you off bothering.”
Nespresso offers three main recycling routes: arranging a Royal Mail doorstep collection or drop-off, placing sealed bags at venues such as supermarkets operating the “podback” scheme, or returning them to Nespresso shops. However, the last of these options is becoming scarce. At least ten Nespresso stores have closed in the past two years, including branches in Bristol, Reading, Solihull, Sheffield and Newcastle.
Nespresso admits that globally two thirds of its pods end up in landfill or are incinerated, although it says that two in five pods are recycled in the UK.
Part of the problem with recycling coffee pods is the difficulty of separating the aluminium from the plastic in the capsule design.
Coffee capsules are tricky to recycle because they are part aluminium, part plastic
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The company says it has worked hard to expand the number of recycling options, pointing out that pods can be dropped at more than 1,000 supermarkets, 143 coffee shops and 268 local authority-run recycling centres, in addition to Post Offices.
The Royal Mail partnership was introduced to replace earlier systems involving Evri and DPD couriers. The arrangement was meant to cut carbon emissions by using postal workers already travelling along existing routes, rather than adding new delivery journeys.
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However, consumer experience appears uneven: in some areas, the service operates smoothly, while in others, collections are frequently cancelled or unattempted.
Nespresso’s UK website describes its recycling scheme as “convenient, free and easy to use”. It provides an online map of supermarket and postal drop-off points.
Yet for customers such as Jess, the constant changes have eroded confidence. “People want to do the right thing, but it shouldn’t be this complicated. It feels like they’re making it harder and harder to recycle — not easier,” she said.
A Nespresso spokeswoman said: “We’re proud of the services we offer, which are designed to make it as easy as possible for our customers to recycle. We continue to evolve this service.
“In 2024, we streamlined the recycling collection booking process so customers can book in less than 30 seconds. We know we can always do more, and we’ll continue to invest in evolving and improving our recycling efforts for customers.”