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Hindley confirmed as Podback’s first executive director

Coffee pod recycling service Podback confirmed yesterday (17 May) it had appointed Rick Hindley as its first executive director.

Rick Hindley was Alupro's executive director from 2007 to May 2021, when he became Podback's first executive director

As first reported by letsrecycle.com earlier this month (see letsrecycle.com story), it was understood Mr Hindley would be joining Podback after standing down as executive director of the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro).

After the appointment was confirmed yesterday, he is now tasked with leading the “next phase of Podback’s growth”.

Mr Hindley said: “Throughout my career I’ve been committed to advancing the sustainable packaging agenda and I’m excited to lead this unique initiative into the next phase of its growth.

“By uniting the industry around a common goal of making recycling simple for people, we can deliver on Podback’s ambition of a world where every coffee pod enjoyed is easily recycled.

“I look forward to working closely with manufacturers, retailers and local authorities over the coming months to make coffee pods more sustainable and create a more circular economy for the future.”

Mr Hindley has had a 30-year career in recycling and waste management, with 15 years’ experience in the aluminium packaging recycling sector.

He was replaced on an interim basis at Alupro by Tom Giddings, the organisation’s sustainability and public affairs manager.

Growth

Mr Hindley will lead Podback’s push to expand the number of local authorities partnered with its recycling scheme, so kerbside collections for coffee pods can be available to more consumers.

He will partner with retailers to offer a ‘handover at home’ option, meaning consumers can have their used coffee pods collected for recycling when they have their groceries delivered.

And, he will ‘onboard’ new members to include all coffee brands that use plastic or aluminium pods in the UK, so consumers can use one scheme for all their pods.

Podback

Podback is a ‘first-of-its-kind’ recycling scheme for coffee pods, set up by Nestlé and Jacobs Douwe Egberts UK. It offers a nationwide Collect+ drop-off service and kerbside collection in eligible local authority areas, which include Cheltenham borough council and South Derbyshire district council.

Pods undergoing recycling at Tandom Metallurgical Group Ltd’s facility in Congleton, near Stoke-on-Trent, where aluminium collected by the scheme is processed

The scheme was launched on 15 April (see letsrecycle.com story). Brands initially covered by the kerbside collection service include Nespresso, Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Starbucks by Nespresso, Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Tassimo and L’OR.

The plastic and aluminium pods collected by Podback are processed separately to produce plastic pellets and aluminium ingots. Podback says the plastic pellets will be used by manufacturers to produce high grade plastic items, like garden furniture, while the aluminium ingots can create beverage cans, car spare parts and other everyday objects. Any coffee grounds collected go through anaerobic digestion, producing soil improver and biogas.

Guillaume Chesneau, board director of Podback and managing director of Nespresso UK and Ireland, said: “Rick’s experience means he will bring unparalleled knowledge of the recycling sector as well as a deep understanding of policy and experience engaging with all levels of government and stakeholders, including local authorities.

“This will be crucial as we continue on Podback’s journey to make recycling coffee pods as easy as possible for consumers.”

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