The surprising afterlife of used hotel soap

[DGUtley]

The surprising afterlife of used hotel soap

Hotel guests leave behind millions of half-used bars of soap every day. A nonprofit is on a mission to repurpose them.


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One of the first things many of us do when we settle into a hotel room is reach for the packaged bar of soap on the bathroom counter. These soaps are the single most-utilized amenity at hotel chains: 86% of guests who stay at a hotel for 1-2 nights use it, handily outranking other popular offerings like the in-room TV (84%), hair dryer (36%), and valet parking (28%). Hotels take great pride in selecting their toiletries, and invest a tremendous amount of time and money into finding the right brand partners.



Every year, it has been estimated that the hospitality industry generates ~440B pounds of solid waste — much of it soap and bottled amenities. That’s the equivalent weight of 2m blue whales.What happens to all that leftover soap? Fourteen years ago, one man asked that very question. And the answer led him down a path that has since saved tens of thousands of lives all over the world.


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https://thehustle.co/the-surprising-...ed-hotel-soap/

[Dr. Who]

That's a great use for all that leftover soap, however I wonder why no one is teaching people in these third world situations the art of making soap from ashes and fat (animal or plant fats will work equally well). My grandmother used to make lye soap when my mother was a child.

[QuaseMarco]

So the soap we use in hotels have been used by thousands of people. Hmmmmm ...I'm going to bring my own.

[DGUtley]

So the soap we use in hotels have been used by thousands of people. Hmmmmm ...I'm going to bring my own.

No.

[donttread]

The surprising afterlife of used hotel soap

Hotel guests leave behind millions of half-used bars of soap every day. A nonprofit is on a mission to repurpose them.


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One of the first things many of us do when we settle into a hotel room is reach for the packaged bar of soap on the bathroom counter. These soaps are the single most-utilized amenity at hotel chains: 86% of guests who stay at a hotel for 1-2 nights use it, handily outranking other popular offerings like the in-room TV (84%), hair dryer (36%), and valet parking (28%). Hotels take great pride in selecting their toiletries, and invest a tremendous amount of time and money into finding the right brand partners.



Every year, it has been estimated that the hospitality industry generates ~440B pounds of solid waste — much of it soap and bottled amenities. That’s the equivalent weight of 2m blue whales.What happens to all that leftover soap? Fourteen years ago, one man asked that very question. And the answer led him down a path that has since saved tens of thousands of lives all over the world.


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https://thehustle.co/the-surprising-...ed-hotel-soap/

Awesome.

[donttread]

That's a great use for all that leftover soap, however I wonder why no one is teaching people in these third world situations the art of making soap from ashes and fat (animal or plant fats will work equally well). My grandmother used to make lye soap when my mother was a child.

Yup, my grandfather used to make it. Abrasive things clean well

[Dr. Who]

Yup, my grandfather used to make it. Abrasive things clean well

You only use the lye water that comes from soaking the ashes, so it needn't be abrasive, unless you don't filter the water very well, but it is corrosive. The corrosiveness is moderated by the addition of the fat. The soap isn't all that attractive looking, but it works.

[RMNIXON]

I saved hotel soap and tiny shampoo bottles for a long time until I realized I don't value them anymore............


I do have a Burbank Hilton Hotel Towel before they took the names off them!

[Peter1469]

I have a lot of hotel soap / airline business class items (and other similar items) in my pre-stash.

[DGUtley]

Mrs. U usually takes the unopened hotel soap home. It's her 'thing'.