UK-based Kenco has partnered with recycling incentive specialist TerraCycle to create the UK's first scheme that urges customers to recycle all brands of coffee packaging waste.
Many councils in the country do not deal with the materials mix present in items such as coffee refill bags, coffee bean bags, single serving coffee sachets, and coffee jar lids, as a result much of its recyclable material ends up in landfill.
To prevent this waste, the the partnership has initiated the Coffee Packaging Brigade program, under which collection boxes will be installed across the UK to collect the packaging waste.
The collected waste will then be processed and recycled by TerraCycle into plastic products, such as park benches, watering cans, and waste bins.
The programme builds on a similar scheme launched in 2009 which applies only to packaging from the Kenco and Tassimo coffee brands.
Eight collection sites are already in place and another 92 appropriate sites will be identified soon based on the nominations by communities.
Every coffee packaging unit sent to TerraCycle awards one pence to local schools, charities or non-profit organisations.
