Lockhart Catering Equipment has partnered with instarinse to expand Bunzl’s exclusive distribution into the UK market.
Developed by Lava Labs, instarinse was designed to drive a key behavioural shift and encourage reuse across everyday practice by eliminating the time, energy, and water intensive methods traditionally associated with regularly cleaning cups and glasses for reuse.
Users simply need to insert the cup and press a button, and instarinse handles the rest. Using just 50ml of water and 0.009 kWh of energy per cycle, instarinse cleans at 130oC in only 25 seconds. It removes reliance on harsh chemicals, instead using steam technology to achieve high standards of hygiene while reducing environmental impact. The innovative appliance is compatible with plastic, glass, metal, and ceramic cups.
The units are so simple to use that they can be placed front of house for customers to use themselves, further helping to streamline service and alleviate pressures hospitality teams face considering staff shortages across the industry.
Simon Britten, Head of Marketing at Lockhart Catering Equipment, is particularly excited about the environmental benefits instarinse offers Lockhart customers:
“Sustainability is a key consideration for us as a business and is embedded into everything we do. As one of the UK’s leading equipment suppliers, we have a duty to use our influence at the centre of the supply chain to lead by example and offer equipment that helps operators meet their own sustainability targets. We’re delighted to be working with instarinse to bring this sustainability-led product to the market, particularly given our aligned goals.”
Each year, the UK uses over 3 billion disposable cups, with fewer than 0.25% recycled. At the same time, businesses spend an estimated £700m annually washing mugs and cups through resource-intensive methods like dishwashers. instarinse eliminates single-use waste at scale and cuts hidden costs associated with staff time and maintenance overheads compared to dishwashers.
instarinse customers also benefit from a comprehensive dashboard which helps them monitor their appliance’s progress and provides tangible evidence via impactOS.
For example, Wellcome Trust London installed one instarinse appliance in its ground floor café in late November 2025. Over the course of nine months, the unit has washed over 9,000 cups, while using only 455L of water. To put this into perspective, to handwash the same number of cups would have required 9105L, while dishwashers would use approximately 3,009L – a saving of 95% and 85% respectively.
Similarly, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) installed an instarinse unit in August 2025. Since then, they have saved around 80% of the cost compared to traditional dishwashing. This is based on an estimated cost of £1,024 on energy, detergent, and labour, compared to the £206.89 used by instarinse. For a precise comparison, instarinse’s dashboard features a customisable calculator, where users can specify exact figures such as dishwasher capacity, water used per load, energy used per load, CO2 used per load, labour time per load, and detergent cost – guaranteeing accurate data to support transparent, informed decision making.
Operators will be able to see the units up close and see them in action at Lockhart’s Catering Innovation Show – returning to London’s Business Design Centre on Monday 5th October 2026. For details about the show and to register for a free ticket, please visit
www.cateringinnovationshow.co.uk/
