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A qustion for the weekend ...
What happens to all the half-used hotel shampoos and soaps etc, and is it ever OK to take them with you as you leave? I am sure they are not reused for guests and I presume they are not recycled. Is one in fact doing the hotel industry a favour by taking them and so relieving the hotel of the duty of disposing of them?
And what other hotel "room supplies" has anyone been tempted to liberate?
You know what they say about assumption!?
In a previous life I worked in the hotel trade. In at least two hotels (one of which is a very prestigious property) left over shampoo and showergel was collected and rebottled.
Usually the staff will end up taking them home, however on the contrary some hotels although in the minority are not past topping up the small bottles and recycling them. For the most part hotels expect for you to take them home, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai gives you full size Hermè`s products to take home, even replenished as required. However Aman hotels choose to use large toiliteries that can be impossible to take with you.
Some hotels use dispensers or large refillable bottles with pump-like mechanisms that are screwed to the wall, making it impossible to "liberate" like the newly opened East in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, which uses the Elemis spa line of products in their showers.
In using 4 * + hotels, if the products are good brands, (Hermes at Sofitel etc), I tend to take some with me for use on the plane. ideal for the limits of security, & hardly provided on many carriers these days, even in Premium cabins.
If you want to be green, then you could always try (with some) of these, to put yr own favourite items in them at home. Useful for hair gel that is usually too bulky to carry. When you have slept on Board, saves frightening the crew with your "out of bed" hairstyle!
It's a but grim if they are re-using bar soap.
I think it's perfectly acceptable to refill smaller bottle for re-use; what a waste if they were thrown out.
I have a drawer full of hotel stuff at home; useful for the gym and friends who don't travel so much are always happy to receive a "goody bag" of useful bits and bobs from my travels.
I like the Crabtree & Evelyn La Sorce at Hilton, but if I am staying a few nights I don't need to have the shower gel replaced everyday as there is plenty in the bottle for a number of days, especially the larger size you get in Dubai and a few other places. I usually place the part used bottle in my bag so a full one is left, then take that home, its all included in the price of the room.
It is a waste to replace a bar of soap each day. I certainly don't like hotels that have dispencers on the walls of the shower or by the sinks, it says "cheap" and penny pinching.
Toiletries small plastic bottles are a major problem for eco sustainability, nearly six to seven small bottles are needed in an average hotel room, that equates to a lot of disposal headache, these are mostly cheap products imported from China, amongst the hotels it is a race to the bottom to import the cheapest brand with quality controls not really emphasised.
Good hotels with eco friendly practices should try to avoid using these 'multicolour unknown bottles' but rather go for bigger dispensers from known brands.
In a economic downturn where hotels are saddled with lot of debt the first few things they cut are items of daily usage, as customers we should encourage usage of organic products though expensive but highly suggested.
BurjalArab in Dubai represents the ultimate in profligate consumerism and would not in any way stand the test of a sustainable hotel but their actions on sustainable bottles need to become industry benchmark.
One hotel that I recently stayed and was very impressed that meets most of these sustainable eco benchmarks is newly opened Hotel Rafayel in Battersea.( www.hotelrafayel.com)
Guests who like to pocket all the travel-sized miniatures (we all do it) may be disappointed to find bathrooms have large, refillable bottles of organic Neom products instead of take-away toiletries. They have totally banned plastics and have gone for Neom 250ml sustainable bottles, the products is a top product and if other hotels can follow suit we will see far less plastic floating around.
(http://www.cosmeticnewsportal.com/cosmetic_article8889.html)
They also have replaced imported mineral water with Vivreau technology that purifies tap water and gives them fizzy water too.
(Source: Vivreau Pure Water http://www.foodbev.com/news/vivreau-invited-to-stay-at-hotel-rafayel )
The lesser plastic we consume the better world we will leave for our children. Such measures taken to ensure that a hotel has a minimal carbon footprint are very impressive.
I agree about the unknown products and in fact when staying at other hotels, other than the bar of soap I would normally use a La Sorce from a Hilton stay which is always in my bag.
Certainly in the UK any of these small plastic bottles taken home should be placed in their household waste recycling bin when empty, the issue I think is how does the hotel dispose of them. There is a balance between eco and comfort. Frankly I don't want foam soap in a hotel room, I don't use it at home and the only time I do is a public toilet!
Gentlemen, I also worked in the hotel industry before moving on to retirement .. believe me, most 4 star hotels and lower definately top up bottles from half used ones .. The half used soap is sent back to the distributors for melting down and made into "new" bars ...
My suggestion unless you believe the brand to be a top one (Hermes etc) take your own toiletries .. most of the cheaper unbranded ones are full of nasty chemicals ..
I am butting in the convo, only to get some facts or stats. I am trying to start a grassroots movement where everyone donates their minis to homeless shelters, missions and various charities. I have been told here in the US that the hotel industry throws these things away where someone in need will benefit from them. The hotel chains here won't admit to what they really do, for it will cost employees their jobs. SO, anyone know of any hardcore info about this?
There are people who will recycle half used soap in a sterile way, sounds like a good initiative:
http://www.suite101.com/content/recycled-hotel-soaps-help-stop-disease-a222223
yeah.... it's called globalsoap and it's here in Atlanta. But that takes time... taking the unused bottles to the homeless is faster.
I'm so not going to use any of hotel toiletries anymore... It's good to hear that some like Burj Al-Arab actually give the toiletries as a giveaways... Maybe it's time for hotel to pack their toiletries and give it to guests in the form of amenity kit; just like they did on airline... People who don't want to use it can sell it somewhere else or give to the charity...
I simply cannot be bothered to take stuff with me when I check out, it seems petty. A business colleague of mine takes everything, even the tea bags and nasty instant coffee. Its each to their own I guess but I can't see the value in collecting small bottles of shampoo ;-)
I always take the Hilton La Source shower gel. Crabtree & Evelyn is a good brand and I find that the small bottles are good for taking to other hotels. Have not purchased any for years.
Four Seasons, give away Asprey's Purple Water products, which are just superb. The housekeeper on my last stay confirmed that any opened/used products are always disposed off after the guests stay. I prefer to take these products with me as they do come in handy when travelling to keep in your hand luggage.
I am a member of the Woman's Institute and we support our local refuge for 'battered wives'. I collect all the hotel toiletries as they are unvaluable for these ladies and their children who have had to leave their abusive partners with often only the clothes they stand up in. It's so important that they feel a little pampered and good quality toiletries are so appreciated by them. Every town in the UK has a refuge which is always self supporting so please find out how to contact them and donate any toiletries - you will know they are going to a good cause.
I don't see any problem with taking hotel soaps. Most are just thrown away. However, I did read about a nonprofit company that collects the partially used soaps and reuses them for the poor. It's much better than adding to the landfill. Their website is
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