News Release

AIDA Introduces Product Innovation: Sustainable Soap from Coffee Grounds

AIDA Cruises cooperates with young Hamburg-based start-up Coffeecycle/ Upcycled coffee grounds become vegan natural cosmetics / Reduction of food waste on board AIDA ships / Efficient circular economy.

AIDA Cruises, Germany’s leading cruise company, is cooperating with the young Hamburg-based start-up Coffeecycle. As part of this collaboration, coffee grounds from AIDA ships are efficiently recycled and processed into high-quality vegan natural cosmetics.

The cooperation between AIDA Cruises and Coffeecycle aims to reduce food waste on board AIDA ships and support a sustainable circular economy. Coffee grounds - normally considered organic waste - are now used as a valuable ingredient in the production of vegan soap.

As a first step, Coffeecycle founders Liam Metzen and Leonardt Mücke used the coffee grounds from AIDAprima to create a unique soap that is not only sustainable, but also skin-friendly and nourishing. The special feature: Only coffee grounds from certified Fairtrade coffee are used from on board. In addition, the soap contains valuable ingredients such as coconut and olive oil and, like all cosmetics and most cleaning products on board the AIDA fleet, is free of micro plastic. In the future, coffee grounds from other AIDA ships calling at Hamburg will also be used to make the soap.

"We were absolutely convinced by Coffeecycle's idea," said Johannes Nagel, Corporate Hotel Manager at AIDA Cruises. "This partnership underlines our commitment to sustainable practices and our ongoing efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of the cruise industry. Efficiently recycling coffee grounds is an important step in sustainably reducing food waste while developing innovative products."

The Coffee Soap is available in three different scents (the classic AIDA Sea Scent, Peach and Orange). They are available now on AIDA ships (except AIDAaura) at a retail price of €9.90.

"We are very excited about this cooperation with AIDA. Since we founded Coffeecycle as baristas, our primary goal has been to recycle the maximum amount of coffee grounds. This collaboration with AIDA allows us to do just that and is perfectly aligned with our mission! We are curious to see what quantities of coffee grounds we can now reuse and thus save from disposal”, said Coffeecycle founders Liam Metzen and Leonardt Mücke.

Recycling coffee grounds is a further step towards more sustainability and environmental protection. The careful use of resources is a fundamental pillar of AIDA's environmental management. Therefore, careful handling of raw materials, food, and water are part of daily routine aboard the AIDA ships. AIDA Cruises continuously optimizes its circular economy model to use fewer resources, produce less waste, and maximize recycling. 

Rostock, August 3, 2023

About AIDA Cruises
AIDA Cruises is one of Germany's leading tourism companies, offering cruise vacations to more than 250 ports around the world. An AIDA vacation offers guests of all ages a varied on-board program, culinary delights, first-class entertainment, unforgettable shore excursions, numerous sports activities and wellness areas for relaxation. The AIDA fleet currently consists of 12 ships, including two cruise ships that can run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). AIDA Cruises is part of Carnival Corporation & plc, one of the largest leisure travel companies in the world. AIDA voyages can be booked through travel agencies, the AIDA Customer Center at +49 (0) 381 20 27 07 07 or at aida.de.

About Coffeecycle:
Coffeecycle is an innovative Hamburg-based start-up specializing in the sustainable recycling of coffee grounds. The company produces high-quality natural cosmetics from upcycled coffee grounds and is committed to the responsible use of resources.