UBITE partners up with Lufthansa Group to introduce Zerocup

UBITE and the Lufthansa Group have teamed up to introduce the Zerocup to crew members. The cooperation represents a promising development toward a more circular future in aviation catering. UBITE is dedicated to unlocking the potential of bio-based materials through innovation and thoughtfully designed products. By fostering collaborations with emerging designers and companies committed to sustainability, we aim to broaden the accessibility of bio-based solutions. 

Last summer, we launched our first product for the B2B market: the Zerocup - an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable and conventional cups, made from plant-based sources. This heat-resistant and dishwasher-safe material allows the cup to be reused hundreds of times. At the end of their lifecycle, Zerocups can be collected and recycled into new cups, creating a circular system with no waste. 

In collaboration with Lufthansa, we developed Zerocups tailored to the specific requirements of various airlines within the group, including: Lufthansa, Swiss, Eurowings, Austrian, Air Dolomiti, Discover and Edelweiss. The cups will be used by more than 30,000 crew members within the Lufthansa Group, saving an estimated 7,500,000 disposable cups. 

Thomas Tesink and Thomas Campman, founders of UBITE: "We are grateful to Lufthansa for their trust and the opportunity to introduce the Zerocup at scale. Our mission is to show businesses and organizations that transitioning from fossil-based disposable products to reusable and bio-based alternatives is simple, convenient and not a compromise on quality, or budget. Through collaborations like these, we can truly make an impact in CO2 and waste reduction." 

The introduction of Zerocups aligns with the European Union's ambitions. The EU Circular Economy Action Plan promotes both reuse and the transition to bio-based materials (1). Zerocups fits within this vision by combining reusability with bio-based raw materials, thereby reducing both waste and dependence on fossil resources. 

Thomas Tesink and Thomas Campman, founders of UBITE: “Replacing disposables with reusable solutions would represent a significant breakthrough in sustainable practices in aviation, as traditionally the majority of inflight products are single-use items. Despite the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recommending the adoption of reusable tableware, practical implementation across the industry has remained limited (2). Our goal is to change that." 

(1): European Commission, ‘A new Circular Economy Action Plan’, COM(2020) 98 final, 2020.
(2): IATA, ‘Reassessing single-use plastic products in the airline sector’, 2024.