The Hotel Soap Process: VANITY GROUP x Soap Aid
The Hotel Soap Process: VANITY GROUP x Soap Aid – Transforming Waste into Hope
VANITY GROUP has teamed up with Soap Aid to challenge the status quo and change the way discarded hotel soap is treated. Soap Aid is putting a stop to the large volumes of discarded soap that end up in landfill through their innovative Hotel to Hands program. The Hotel to Hands program provides a sustainable and scalable solution to hard soap waste, through collecting, sorting, cleaning, and reprocessing hotel soap into fresh, hygienic bars for vulnerable communities around the world. It’s estimated that globally, travellers and hotels throw away 5 million bars of soap every day. VANITY GROUP are supporting Soap Aid to change that!
So far, Soap Aid has worked with their accommodation partners to divert over 300 tonnes of hard soap and recycle this into over 3 million brand new bars of soap to vulnerable communities in Australia, the Pacific, Asia and Africa.
Who Is Soap Aid?
Soap Aid is an Australian-based charity dedicated to providing soap to communities around the world with inadequate access to sanitation. By recycling discarded and partially used hotel soap, the organisation makes brand new bars of soap to distribute to communities with Hygiene education, with the aim of preventing hygiene-related illnesses such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, and child deaths.
But How Does It Work?
VANITY GROUP supports Soap Aid by working with their global hotel partners to divert hard soap waste to Soap Aid through Soap Aid’s Hotel to Hands programme. VANITY GROUP funds Hotel to Hands Programme subscriptions for hotels to cover the costs involved in collecting the partially used soap from hotel bathrooms, and recycling the soap into brand new soap bars
(Hotel Provisions Statistics: Soap Aid, 2024)
To date, Soap Aid has distributed over 3 million+ bars of soap from hotels worldwide, impacting more than half a million people. This effort has also saved over 300+ tonnes of soap from ending up in landfill.
Soap Bars Are Small But Have A Big Impact
In a hotel bathroom, the most utilised amenity is undoubtedly a bar of soap. Research shows that 86% of guests who stay 1-2 nights at a hotel use their soap bars, which outranks other amenities like the in-room TV (84%), hair dryer (36%), and valet parking (28%).
Why Should Hotel’s Get Involved?
Everyone has a responsibility to protect the environment and support vulnerable communities. By joining the Hotel to Hands program, hotels can contribute in several significant ways:
· Global Reach: Help Soap Aid recycle soap and extend its reach to more communities worldwide.
· Saving Lives: Handwashing with soap can reduce diarrhoea cases by over 40%.
(Hotel Provisions Statistics: Soap Aid, 2024)
· Environmental Impact: Reduce landfill, carbon emissions, and the extraction of raw materials.
· Driving Change: Lead the hospitality industry in sustainability and appeal to eco-conscious guests.
Goals and Benefits:
Soap Aid aims to register over 120,000 hotel rooms, recycle 4.3 million new bars of soap, and deliver soap to 200,000 children in need for a full year.
(Hotel Provisions Statistics: Soap Aid, 2024)
Hotels who partner with Soap Aid will receive comprehensive training materials, internal marketing collateral, and regular impact reports. Partners will also benefit from:
o Guest tent cards
o In-room guest videos
o Social media coverage
o Features on Soap Aid Website
o Use of Soap Aid logo
Can Hotel Amenities Be Designed to Be Environmentally Friendly?
Absolutely, and VANITY GROUP is at the forefront of this initiative as part of our VANITY GROUP Mindful Beauty Project. As part of our sustainability initiative, we are committed to creating hotel collections with sustainability as a core principle. Our products feature packaging made from OceanBound Material, EcoPure, and PCR materials, significantly reducing environmental impact. By utilising these eco-friendly materials, we ensure that our packaging is not only sustainable but also contributes to the reduction of plastic waste in oceans and landfills.
Our amenities are formulated without harmful additives such as sulphates, parabens, MIT, PEGS, BHA & BHT, triclosan, silicone, gluten, alcohol, and talc. This ensures that our products are not only environmentally friendly but also safe and gentle on the skin. VANITY GROUP is also proud to be Vegan Friendly, never testing on animals, and using triple-milled soap in our hotel collections globally. Our triple-milled soap is of higher quality, providing a richer lather and longer-lasting bar, which further reduces waste.
Our dedication to health, wellness, and the environment means that guests can trust they are using products that are both luxurious and responsible. By choosing VANITY GROUP, hotels can provide an elevated experience for their guests while making a positive impact on the planet. When hotels partner with VANITY GROUP, they can also select to contribute to Soap Aid’s mission of providing essential hygiene products to vulnerable communities, making a tangible difference in the world. Together, we can ensure that every stay not only pampers guests but also supports global health and sustainability.
Are you ready to make an impact? If you would like to join the VANITY GROUP Mindful Beauty Project, click here.