Modern Milkman to Collect Unwanted Electronics and Toys with Deliveries
A UK dairy delivery company is set to begin collecting unwanted or broken toys, mobile phones, and laptops alongside its regular deliveries of milk, orange juice, and butter as part of its latest expansion strategy.
The Modern Milkman, founded by entrepreneur Simon Mellin in Burnley, north-west England, in 2019, currently delivers groceries to over 100,000 households across the UK.
The company will now collect electronic goods and toys from customers to hand over to recycling specialist EMR Group, which will repurpose or recycle the items. Consumers will be charged £2.50 per collection bag.
According to the non-profit organisation Material Focus, British households hold an average of 30 broken tech items each, an increase from 20 four years ago. Annually, the UK disposes of approximately 2 million tonnes of electronic waste.
While retailers are now required to offer take-back schemes and some local councils provide kerbside collections, it remains challenging for consumers to dispose of small items such as cables, chargers, and old phones conveniently.
“We did a lot of research and there is not really a convenient way to deal with this stuff,”said Mellin. The service has been trialled in four regions and is now planned for expansion across the company’s operations. Future initiatives include tackling other waste streams such as soft plastics and textiles.
“It is about how we build a stronger proposition and make ourselves more valuable to our customers,”Mellin added, emphasizing a focus on
“sustainable growth rather than blowing the barn doors off”.
The Modern Milkman operates through local independent suppliers and a network of franchisees employing delivery workers across approximately 40% of the UK, covering areas from Newcastle, Preston, and Blackburn to London and Bristol.
Mellin, who grew up on a farm and left school without qualifications, acknowledged the company has experienced
“a rollercoaster”during its initial years, with demand for deliveries surging during the pandemic and subsequently declining.
Despite this, UK sales increased last year and continue to grow as the company reaches more households and introduces new services, Mellin stated.
The Modern Milkman is also expanding its presence in the United States after acquiring local businesses serving homes in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Ohio, and New York. Mellin noted that sales in the younger US division are also growing
“at pace”.
Group sales rose 13% to £52 million in 2024, driven primarily by US expansion, though the company recorded a pre-tax loss of £6.3 million, an improvement from a £10.6 million loss the previous year. Last year’s sales growth of about 20% was supported by growth in both UK and US markets and the launch of a loyalty scheme.
Grocery delivery companies have had to adapt amid intense competition and a slowing market following the pandemic.
Major supermarket chains such as Tesco, the Co-op, and Sainsbury’s have expanded their own delivery operations and partnered with delivery platforms like Deliveroo and UberEats.
Milk & More, the UK’s largest specialist dairy delivery service, was sold by yoghurt producer Müller to dairy firm Freshways in January 2024 amid a decline in sales linked to the cost of living crisis.
