Where does it go?Everything has somewhere to go.It did not pile up overnight. One thing at a time.

Same answer in every state and territory

How to recycle coffee pods in Australia

The short answer

Anywhere in Australia, coffee pods, aluminium or plastic, never go in the kerbside recycling bin. Send them back to the brand: Nespresso takes aluminium capsules free at boutiques and more than 300 florists and garden centres, and TerraCycle takes L'OR, Moccona, Campos and Dolce Gusto capsules free. A wider pod scheme is planned for 2027.

Sources Nespresso: what happens when you recycle your podsNespresso: how to recycle coffee capsulesRecycling Near You: coffee capsulesTerraCycle: L'OR, Moccona and Campos capsulesTerraCycle: Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsulesPlanet Ark: Podcycle

  • Back to the brand
  • Not kerbside recycling

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What do I do with coffee pods?

  1. Nespresso: four ways back Return used aluminium capsules free to a Nespresso boutique or one of more than 300 participating florist and garden centre collection points, post them back in a paid Nespresso Australia Post satchel, or arrange bulk collection for a workplace. Selected Sydney postcodes also get doorstep collection.
  2. L'OR, Moccona, Campos and Dolce Gusto: TerraCycle TerraCycle runs free programs for L'OR, Moccona and Campos aluminium capsules and for plastic Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules, with a prepaid Australia Post label or a public drop-off point. Enrolment limits may apply.
  3. Other brands Check the brand's website for a return program. Planet Ark's Podcycle, which aims to take all brands, has been trialled in selected NSW and Victorian stores since February 2024; a national scheme is planned by 2027, and which pod types it will take is not yet confirmed.
  4. Compostable pods Many council FOGO bins do not take coffee pods, compostable ones included. Check your council's list before you put one in.
Everywhere in Australia

The brand take-back programs run nationally. What a council's FOGO bin accepts is local.

Can coffee pods go in the recycling bin?

No. Planet Ark's Recycling Near You says coffee capsules and pods, plastic and aluminium, should never go in your recycling bin at home. Nespresso and ALDI say the same about their own capsules.

How do I recycle Nespresso pods?

Take used aluminium capsules free to a Nespresso boutique or one of more than 300 participating florist and garden centre collection points, post them in a paid Nespresso Australia Post satchel, or ask about bulk collection for a workplace or community group. Doorstep collection covers selected Sydney postcodes. Recycling Near You says the program accepts all brands of aluminium capsules; check with the drop-off point.

What about L'OR, Moccona or Dolce Gusto pods?

TerraCycle runs free programs for them. One takes L'OR, Moccona and Campos aluminium capsules, not plastic ones or other brands. Another takes plastic Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules. Both use a prepaid Australia Post label or a public drop-off point, and enrolment limits may apply.

Is there a program for every brand?

Not yet. Planet Ark's Podcycle, which aims to collect all brands, began in-store trials at selected NSW and Victorian sites in February 2024. A national scheme is planned to launch by 2027; which pod types it will take is still to be confirmed.

Can compostable coffee pods go in my FOGO bin?

Often not. Many councils exclude coffee pods and compostable packaging from FOGO bins; Whitehorse City Council in Victoria, for one, lists both as not accepted. Check your own council's list first.

What happens to recycled Nespresso pods?

The capsules are separated: the aluminium is sent for smelting and refining, and the used coffee grounds go to compost.

This answer is the same in every state and territory, so there is one page for it. The answers that change at the state border are listed at where does it go.