Luloop, a newly launched startup, wants to reduce single-use plastic waste and establish itself as an ‘activism startup’.
Having worked in the events industry in Berlin where plastic waste is omnipresent, the co-founders decided to take matters into their own hands.
“We saw so much plastic being wasted during these events which really surprised us. After a while we found it harder and harder to continue working there so we decided to do something about it ourselves,” says Cheryl.
Their experiences in the events industry as well as their exposure to permaculture during their travels really left a mark on the co-founders. Ideas of circularity, reusability and the imitation of the natural cycle all converged in the conception of Luloop.
Instead of the disposable cups still used by most cafés and takeaway restaurants, Luloop has come up with a clever system that uses high-quality reusable cups, saving up to 1000 disposable cups. The end-user pays an additional euro to get the Luloop cup which he can then take on the go and when done with his coffee, deposit at one of Luloop’s partners in exchange for a euro.
Designed to be BPA free, heat resistant and 100% recyclable, Luloop cups can be washed by hand or put in the dishwasher up to 1000 times.
“[…] we hope that through Luloop we can make a positive impact in Luxembourg.”
Cheryl Ury
Multiple Solutions
Suitable for any café or restaurant that does takeaway drinks, as well as for municipalities, Luloop is both a price effective and sustainable solution. It is cheaper to use than disposable cups and by using it throughout its intended lifecycle, one saves 500L of water and about 30Kg of CO2.
While one might think that the single-use waste problem Luloop is aiming to solve could also be done by getting more people to buy their own reusable coffee cup, this is not necessarily the case.
“Many reusable coffee cups do not fit with commercial coffee machines. By offering different sizes (0.2L, 0.3L, 0.4L) Luloop solves this issue,” says Cheryl.
Luloop’s cups can be used in another way. For companies or between shops the startup also offers a ‘In-Loop’ solution. This creates a closed loop where the users get access to the cups free of charge and allows companies or municipalities to get rid of single-use cups for water or coffee dispensers for example.
Cooperation Is Key
While getting corporates and municipalities to acknowledge the extent of single-use plastic waste has not always been easy, Luloop is generating more and more traction.
With a couple of partners already on board, Luloop has also just partnered with The MuD, Luxembourg’s ‘Musée du Déchêt’. Although their journey has just begun, the startup is optimistic about its progress and hopes to have “100 new partners, spread from the north of the country to the south” by the end of the year.
“We don’t only want to offer an exciting product, we want to be an ‘activism startup’ and we hope that through Luloop we can make a positive impact in Luxembourg,” concludes Cheryl.
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