Aside from the mini bar being stocked with scrumptious delights, the amenities that await in the bathroom are arguably more important. Before stepping foot onto the tiles of a hotel bathroom, you want to be assured you’ll feel good as hell using the product’s lining the vanity. But then, what becomes of the life of a hotel amenity after it has been used?

While VANITY GROUP’S hotel collections are environmentally conscious (sourced from OceanBound materials and include PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastics), we like to kiss new life into our favourite bottles after they’ve been loved. If you’re a savvy environmentalist or crafty artisan looking for new ideas, pack your amenities as you check out of your stay and check in to ways you can upcycle your hotel amenities!

Get crafty and create some festive ornaments

Hotel amenities are more than just soaps and conditioners, they hold the memories of your travels and the scent of your previous adventures. Immortalising these escapades by creating your own home décor or festive ornaments would make tree decorating even more fabulous.

Imagine hanging all your regular ornaments along with amenities that hold the memories of your travels on your tree, a lovely send off to the year that was. All you need is a hole puncher, a bit of string, a plate of cookies, warm milk, and a variety of luxurious amenities (for you and Santa) to create a gorgeous hotel ameni-tree!

The festivities aren't just reserved for guests, consider used amenities your very own mistletoe. Hotels can upcycle their in-room collections to create lobby art installations that'll have Santa himself hurrying down the hotel chimney at night. Imagine a Jo by Jo Loves divinely decorated tree with all the red trimmings, or a Fellow giftorium styled with the brand's iconic green bottles.

We think it’s about time to start decking the halls with amenities as one can never have enough.

Have a picnic with your used amenities

If you have left over amenities that are empty inside, try filling them with water and popping them into the freezer. They will become great multipurpose ice packs to keep your food and drinks nice and chilled on a hot summer’s day if you’re deciding on going for a picnic or a hike, additionally, they’re super lightweight!

You could even fill them with condiments if you don’t want to take a whole bottle of mustard or mayonnaise or fill some with champagne if you’re feeling a bit cheeky and sneaky! Just ensure that you clean out the tubes completely before filling them with whatever you’ll be eating or drinking later.

Pop them into your gym bag

It can be difficult to get that perfect curl in and out of the gym. After working out, all you really want to do is jump into the shower and rinse off with some soap and shampoo. If you’re looking to lean up your gym bag, upcycle compact shampoos and soaps like hotel amenities to cut kilos in all the right places.

Keeping hotel toiletries in your gym bag is a great way to achieve those perfect curls, on and off the gym floor.! Leave the gym feeling like your best self and ready to take on your next challenge, this could be the additional lift you need for the day!

Using conditioner as shaving cream

Have you ever run out of shaving cream at home or while travelling? No need to fear the fuzz, the creamy texture of hotel conditioner is a great alternative to shaving cream. According to hair experts, conditioners are formulated to manage hair and on-coming frizz meaning it can make a razor glide easily over skin and leave you smooth and smelling divine!

Mini conditioners are also great to have in your luggage when travelling! They weigh far less than ordinary conditioners, meaning they fall under the 100ml rule, and don’t need to be removed like aerosol cans, shaving valuable time and effort off your check in.

Shower capping your shoes

Intrepid travellers understand the need to pack as many versatile outfits as possible. Slipping the right shoes into your luggage can make or break an outfit, but what happens when your shoes get dirty?

Put your best foot forward, turn on your heel and think ahead of the curve, use a shower cap as a shoe bag! To protect your clothes and valuables in your suitcase, shower cap your shoes and you won’t need to worry about your shoes lacing your luggage with dirt.

Using a shower cap as a headband for your makeup

Can’t find your favourite headband while you’re doing your makeup? A shower cap can be your one stop ‘keeping your hair out of your face’ shop! The best part is that you can go straight from the shower to putting on your make up which is perfect for when you’re in a rush.

Re-Gift them!

Unused hotel amenities can become the perfect stocking stuffer or Kris Kringle gift during the festive time of year and are perfect, pint sized toiletries for people who love to pamper themselves and want to feel good from head to mistle-toe!

If you’re not in love with the fragrance or type of shampoo, conditioner, body wash or lotion that you have, why not give it to someone who might adore it and sleigh the gift giving game!

Donate or “Pinch” to charities

Not only is upcycling great for the environment, but it seriously helps people who need amenities if you donate them to charities.

Organisations like Pinchapoo (slang for pinch-a-shampoo) have created a hotel toiletry ‘pinching’ movement that redistributes personal hygiene products, Robin Hood style, to disadvantaged men, women, and children.

Programs focus on assisting disadvantaged people in school communities, people struck down in emergency hospital stays and individuals who have been affected by natural disasters or crisis. Initiatives like these give support to those who really need it and provide some of the most basic but most expensive toiletries to these people.

While upcycling is just one way we can lessen the impact of wastage on our environment, it can give new life to amenities that haven’t even seen their full potential yet and assist those who truly need it.

Looking at how you can become more sustainable in your hotel? Say hello to find out more.