login      my ps      about      contact  



home instructor-led training on-demand screencasts blogs


Musings from Gudge » SOAP

SOAP

Those of you who are of a Web Services disposition are going to be disappointed with this post…
 
The bathroom in my hotel room has a small bar of soap wrapped in cellophane. There is a label on the cellophane telling me who made the soap, that it's made of glycerin and finishing with the words 'Please Recycle'. It's this last part that puzzles me. Recycle what? It can't mean the soap, which, in my experience at least, gradually vanishes with use. Can it possibly mean the packaging? A small piece of cellophane and a paper label? Perhaps, although I would have no idea where one recycles such things. Maybe there's a Soap Wrapper Recycling Centre in each city in America that I've just not come across yet. Failing that, I can only conclude that it's a general exhortation to recycle those things in life that can be recycled, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the soap. But perhaps someone else can tell me otherwise...
Posted Oct 21 2004, 05:10 AM by martin-gudgin
Filed under:

Comments

Carlos wrote re: SOAP
on 10-21-2004 12:35 AM
You open the packet, wash your hands a couple of times, and the hotel finishes up with a nearly full bar of slightly used soap. Which they replace with a fresh bar for the next guest.

It would make sense to recycle it. I don't know if they do or not.
Craig wrote re: SOAP
on 10-21-2004 12:49 AM
I've long thought that those bars of soap are recycled. As Carlos points out, the hotel has a whole lot of 99% unused bars, but they always give you a fresh one. Hopefully someone here knows what really happens.
Katie wrote re: SOAP
on 07-13-2005 2:40 PM
Yes they mean the paper wrapping. You know the millions of soap wrappers do add up to a lot of paper, and paper should never end up in the landfill. I guess you live in one of those waste capitals of the USA that seems completely unable to recycle anything and this seems like an unreasonable request. Of course in most place the hotel room would have a reycle bin and you would have never thought twice about it.
Gudge wrote re: SOAP
on 07-13-2005 3:11 PM
Katie,

Thanks for the info.

I actually live in the UK, where we're way behind in terms of recycling...

The hotel was in Vancouver, but as far as I could tell, didn't have a recycle bin, at least not in my room.
Cassie wrote re: SOAP
on 08-15-2005 5:16 PM
How is soap recycled? can soap be recycled?
Ross wrote re: SOAP
on 10-07-2005 5:28 PM
Thanks for your site. I work as a pastor of Church that recieves all these used soaps from a hotel, but there is little we can do with them as they have been used. I am looking for a way to cleanse them, melt them down, reshape them make new clean soap again.
Can anyone help in this area. Thanks.
Cheryl wrote re: SOAP
on 10-15-2005 2:31 PM
Here's an article on recycling soap scraps: http://www.echonews.com/1013/natures_way.html
brucie loo wrote re: SOAP
on 11-18-2005 7:12 PM
that is PRECISELY what i do, cheryl...as in the article...i crocheted a drawstring pouch and put the tiny little soap pieces at the end of a bar of soap in it...when is gets full-ish, i have a "new" bar of soap...they mentioned putting fresh herbs in with it...that sounds fantastic...i will give it a try...
Jane wrote re: SOAP
on 12-26-2005 11:07 PM
I would really like to know what to do with old soap. There has got to be a way to recycle this stuff! Even for personal use! Anybody know?
drew wrote re: SOAP
on 03-11-2006 5:24 AM
there is a company in Victoria BC that has actually started recycling hotel soaps for use as clothing detergent. I just bought two packages in Edmonton Alberta.
buffalorecycled.com for more info
Beryl wrote re: SOAP
on 03-11-2006 8:36 PM
I'm one of those english hoteliers that end up with the soap bars.About 10kg a year on average.If all the guesthouses and hotels could send their soaps somewhere, they could be recycled and sent out to third world places to keep some of the known diseases at bay that we all wash our hands to guard against. I like the idea of the 'washbag'. Maybe someone could recycle plastics to make the bags to put the soaps into? Come on all you eco-designers!!!
By the way, Pastor Ross, soap is already clean - any hair / fluff on the surface rubs off when its dry. Have you ever seen a soap bar with bacterial growth on it? I haven't yet.
Erin Mattinson wrote re: SOAP
on 04-20-2006 2:29 AM
I am actually looking into trying to donate our hotel's soaps right now, and came across this site. If anyone can help me out, or even at least point me in the right direction, that would be fantastic. I don't want to throw them out, we have a ton to recycle. Please email me if you have any suggestions. Erin.Mattinson@fairmont.com
Dave wrote re: SOAP
on 05-15-2006 4:05 AM
Maybe hotels that don't recycle soap could encourage guests to take their bars of soap home by providing a small zip-lock bag.
Michael wrote re: SOAP
on 07-19-2006 3:19 AM
You know how your soap bar gets so thin you can't use it anymore? Well, I don't throw those away. I save them. I would like to melt them down or something & make new bars. Any ideas?
Klavs wrote re: SOAP
on 08-09-2006 10:02 PM
I can offer soaps for hotels with their logo`s, not just printed, but with micro-injection technology, so the logo do not washes away, but lasts as long, as your soap. this is Unique technology, and really good-looking. every product is hand-made by Latvian masters.
ask more on citalieta@inbox.lv
+37128328184
sherry wrote re: SOAP
on 08-15-2006 10:08 AM
you say you know how to make a new soap bar out of old soap.. but you dont say how..thats dumb
Bernard wrote re: SOAP
on 08-17-2006 3:53 AM
The used soap can be recycled. The ideal way could be the hotelier should collect the used (left over) soaps and returned to their soap supplier, who can produce new bar soap or can sell it soap producer in third world countries to produce bar soap or laundry soap.
Susan wrote re: SOAP
on 12-09-2006 2:49 AM
My dear Mother, 50 years ago, was saving all the little bits of soap bars and putting them into a little bag made from the feet of old nylon stockings. Voila! A sort of soapy loofa made from two throw-aways. This was not done out of concern for the environment, however. Living through the depression left her unable to waste anything. She also washed and reused aluminum foil.
Mike wrote re: SOAP
on 01-17-2007 9:08 PM
Does anyone know how much left over soap from hotels is availabe in the entire US??
nadia wrote re: SOAP
on 01-29-2007 5:55 AM
I buy bars of soap that when you are near finished you put the little bit left into the new bar and so there is never any waste! Anyone can get this soap!
Gene wrote re: SOAP
on 02-08-2007 10:22 AM
I finally asked what happens to the slightly used soap bars yesterday at a Las Vegas hotel. The hotel manager said they just throw them in the trash, along with partially used shampoo and hand lotion in glass or plastic bottles. They said this is for sanitary reasons.(?!) I did a little checking and found that in this one city alone, they throw out about 200,000 of each per day! What a waste. But I guess Las Vegas has money and waste dumps to spare.
Steve wrote re: SOAP
on 05-02-2007 4:51 AM
We all want to stop the waste, but the answer lies in coming up with an economic reason to do so. If we can collect and recycle the millions of pounds of soap that are discarded each year, and make money doing so, then the solution is at hand. I am a ready investor for anyone who has the right proposal. Wash my back and I'll wash yours. write me: locopescador1@yahoo.com
Terri wrote re: SOAP
on 06-30-2007 1:00 PM
Check out www.travelstick.com these people figured out how not to waste soap, why don't hotels put these gems in their rooms?
Robert wrote re: SOAP
on 07-18-2007 12:41 AM
I have found a place that recycle hotel soaps and shampoo and uses them for a homeless shelter i send them to The Good Neighbor Settlement House 1254 East Tyler Street, Brownsville Texas 78520
Kris wrote re: SOAP
on 08-03-2007 10:30 AM
The solution is to take the used soap, shampoo and conditioner with you, and save on buying it at the supermarket, especially seeing we are now limited to 100ml or 3oz of any one liquid on carry on bags in aircraft. And supermarkets never have travel sizes, only jumbo economy packs of anything these days. Makes sense to me if it is only going to be landfill a few days after opening.
Simone wrote re: SOAP
on 02-25-2008 6:42 AM
Wow. I found each and every one of these comments enlightening. I am a GM at a hotel and I too am looking for an eco friendly solution to recycling our old soap bars. I understand the sanitary issue completely. Who would want to use a bar of soap that someone else may have been washing their private parts with. I hate to be blunt about it but it's true. And the other thing is no matter if you put sign up in the room some guests won't think to take a half used soaps home. Why would they? Most people like things new, they don't like used stuff, that's just the ways it is. When I stay at a hotel I bring my own soaps, lotions and shampoos. Whatever I don't use can be passed on to another guest. But if anyone has any idea what to do with used soaps, shampoos and lotions please let me know. I would love to participate in something a little more eco friendly for my hotel. Anything sure beats what we're doing right now, which is tossing them in the trash, sad but true. paradisekepr@msn.com.
Jennifer wrote re: SOAP
on 04-21-2008 7:47 AM
Hi,
About soap recycling . . . the Hilton Walt Disney World has a year old article on the web which mentions their soap recycling. There is a contact name attached with the online article, Jeff Prather, (321) 229-3862. Perhaps you could contact him about what they do specifically.

Or you could contact the state of Florida about their Green Lodging Certification program, they might be able to offer assistance.
barbara wrote re: SOAP
on 06-23-2008 6:16 AM
i put sraps of soap into atin add water then let stan when all melted and mixedi add oatmeal, or lavender flowers then pour into icecube trays and let harden. great for fetes. ask the local motels for their leftovers. ps does anyone know how to colour it or haow to make it pliable to make into shape ,eg a sponge cke like in gift shops very elegant
Karen wrote re: SOAP
on 07-07-2008 8:56 AM

My church collects toiletries to make "care" packages for local (often  homeless) undocumented workers. I will recommend that we promote saving all these partially used personal care items for this purpose.

Add a Comment

(required)  
(optional)
(required)  
Remember Me?


home instructor-led training online training blogs

781.749.9238 (East Coast) | 310.251.9901 (West Coast) | Pluralsight, LLC , 185 Lincoln St., Suite 305, Hingham, MA 02043-1741

Copyright © 2008 Pluralsight LLC. All rights reserved.

designed by nukeation