UK: The five-star Lowry Hotel in Manchester has announced its commitment to sustainability by signing up to a toiletry recycling scheme.
Research suggests that approximately 20 million bars of soap are being wasted every year in the UK.
Moreover, 50,000 half-used soaps are said to be sent to landfills each year.
Clean the World, a global enterprise dedicated to WASH (water, sanitisation and hygiene) and sustainability, recycles discarded soap bars and empty toiletry bottles from hotel rooms and distributes them to those in need.
The initiative will see half-used soaps from The Lowry Hotel shipped to a recycling centre in Amsterdam. The surface of recycled soap is sanitised and ground into soap “noodles” before being pressed and cut into brand new 80g bars. The hygienically cleaned soaps are then distributed to charities across the globe.
The hotel will also send its empty bottles to a recycling plant, where they will be recycled and prevented from going to landfill.
Adrian Ellis, general manager of The Lowry Hotel, said: “Whilst many of us love the novelty of miniature toiletries when we stay in hotel rooms and as a five-star hotel our guests expect it, they are one of the biggest causes of waste in the industry, with hundreds of soaps and bottles a day being thrown away half-used. The scheme stops these toiletries from ending up in landfill and we’re thrilled to be involved.”
“Sustainability is something that is hugely important to us as a business and we are constantly looking for new ways to do our part in helping the environment. The Clean the World program is a fantastic opportunity for us to reduce our carbon footprint.”
The Lowry is part of several eco initiatives and schemes. Other projects include using sustainably sourced produce in its restaurant, and offering a ‘eco turndown’ option for gusts to reduce its carbon footprint.
