Rekit: amenity kits managed sustainably

Have you ever wondered what happens to amenity kits when passengers leave the aircraft? In some cases, they are taken home and used afterwards, however, most of the time only a couple of items from the kit are used and the rest remains untouched. This means that what’s left behind is for the most part incinerated or disposed to landfill which is extremely harmful to the environment due to the CO2 emissions produced. So, is there a solution? How can we minimize the impact on the planet and maybe even decrease costs?

At deSter for years we have been offering our customers a unique service which we call “Rekit”. Basically, it means recycling amenity kits that were already flying on board the aircraft. We have created different models within this service, but the main goal is to reduce waste, minimize costs for airlines, shorten delivery times, and support local communities. “Rekit” perfectly aligns with our ESG strategy supporting all three areas: People, Planet and Product.

So, what do we actually do within “Rekit”? When partially used or unused amenity kits are left on the plane at the end of the journey, they are collected and brought to our facility where they are sorted. If the kit is untouched, it just goes back for the next flight. If it’s missing some items or something was opened/used, we replace them with new products. For example, earplugs, eye shades, toothpaste and toothbrushes are the ones commonly added to the kit again as per hygiene rules.

If for some reason the kits cannot be used anymore (e.g. zipper of the bag is broken), we donate them to social charities helping communities around us.

As mentioned before, with this program we have a shorter delivery time and lower shipping costs because our facilities are situated locally. As such, Lufthansa has been using “Rekit” for a very long time and we already have two established locations in Frankfurt.