The circular economy in practice
In collaboration with WWF Germany and with scientific support from Kühne Logistics University (KLU), Motel One has investigated how the circular economy can be effectively and practically integrated into hotel operations. Two pilot projects in Hamburg and Aachen demonstrate the environmental and economic potential of specific measures.
As part of the two-year project, we tested both measures in day-to-day hotel operations: a reusable system for fruit salad bowls in five hotels in Hamburg and waste separation in guest rooms at Motel One Aachen.
Key figures
* Annualised figure based on waste data from 2025 and the pilot period from March to May 2026. Source:
Closing the Loop
HAMBURG – A CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEM FOR FRUIT SALAD CONTAINERS
Until now, fruit salad for our breakfast was delivered to the hotel in single-use plastic tubs. As part of the ‘Closing the Loop’ pilot project, five Motel One hotels in Hamburg have replaced this single-use solution with a closed, reusable cycle: Hamburg am Michel, Hamburg-Airport, Hamburg-Alster, Hamburg-Altona and Hamburg-Fleetinsel.
This is how the cycle works
- PFABO provides the reusable containers.
- Fresh Factory fills them with freshly cut fruit salad.
- Transgourmet Germany delivers the containers to the hotels and collects the empty ones with the next delivery.
- cup&more professionally cleans and inspects the containers.
- They are then returned to the cycle and refilled.
The containers are designed for up to 500 uses. During the three-month trial period, they replaced 2,261 single-use buckets, thereby preventing 423 kilograms of single-use plastic. Of the returned containers, only 1.2 per cent had to be sorted out. The project has been extended until the end of 2026, and the expansion phase has already begun.
NOMINATED
“Closing the Loop” has been nominated for the German Sustainability Award in the category “Products in the Resource Transformation Field 2027”. The awards will be presented on 3 December 2026 in Düsseldorf.
Waste sorting in guest rooms
AACHEN – PILOT PROJECT AT MOTEL ONE
At Motel One Aachen, waste has been sorted into five categories in the back office since 2025. In the guest rooms, however, there was only one bin for general waste. Between March and May 2026, we changed this: all 259 rooms were fitted with bins featuring three labelled compartments for general waste, plastic and paper. This means that recyclable lightweight packaging and paper no longer end up in the general waste.
Projected figures show that between 4.6 and 8.9 tonnes of general waste can be diverted to other, recyclable waste streams each year. By way of comparison: in 2025, the hotel generated 28.2 tonnes of general waste. Disposal costs for general waste have fallen by around 30 per cent. No additional costs were incurred for room cleaning.
“The potential cost savings resulting from less residual waste, the environmental benefits and the minimal additional effort required in hotel operations were the deciding factors in continuing this project in Aachen immediately after the pilot phase.”
Verena Ferner, Group CR & Sustainability Manager, Motel One Group
EveryONE Counts: How to get involved
Every little bit helps. When you stay at Motel One Aachen, you’ll find a bin with three compartments in your room. Please put packaging and paper in the correct compartments so that they can be recycled.
From the pilot phase to everyday hotel operations
Both projects demonstrate that the circular economy is particularly effective when it is integrated into existing processes, from the supply chain and logistics right through to the guest room. Three factors were crucial in this regard:
- The measures fit seamlessly into existing processes, meaning there is hardly any extra work for staff or guests.
- The hotel, suppliers, logistics providers and waste management companies work closely together.
- On-site teams are involved and trained at an early stage. In Aachen, the training was delivered in multiple languages and featured plenty of visuals, as the majority of the cleaning staff do not speak German.
“The hospitality industry has great potential to conserve resources and prevent waste. The results of the two pilot projects at Motel One demonstrate how the circular economy can be integrated and transformation put into practice.” – Laura Griestop, circular economy expert, WWF Germany
With the extension of the reusable packaging project in Hamburg and the continuation of waste separation in Aachen, we are now examining how these approaches can be applied to other sites and processes.