Hilton’s UK team has announced a soap recycling programme that it says will divert 64 tonnes of waste from landfill each year.
It will see the hotel group expand its current partnership with Clean the World.
According to the NGO, five million partially-used soap bars are thrown away in hotels around the world every day.
From 2020, soap bars from Hilton’s UK hotels will be sent to Clean the World’s recycling facility in Amsterdam. Hilton hotels in 17 countries across continental Europe will also take part in the scheme.
The bars will be cleaned and repurposed into 700,000 new soap bars each year, which will be sent to communities in need.
Hilton said these would especially be in countries with a high death rate due to pneumonia and cholera.
“Partnering with brands such as Hilton helps us to deliver much-needed hygiene supplies to children and families in times of need,” said Shawn Seipler, founder and CEO of Clean the World.
“We are thrilled to expand our existing partnership to Hilton’s hotels across Europe, as it will enable us to take another important step forward in our fight against hygiene-related illnesses.”
Hilton says its eventual goal is to recycle 100 per cent of its leftover soap bars.
So far its recycling programme has created 11 million new bars.
More broadly, Hilton wants to reduce waste output by 50 per cent by 2030.
It has already banned all plastic straws and stirrers and is set to roll out full-size toiletries in all hotels by the end of 2020.
Hotel groups Marriott, IHG, Hyatt and Mandarin Oriental have all made commitments to reduce their plastic use.
Hyatt has also partnered with Clean the World.
Read more about hotels’ efforts to improve their sustainability credentials in our recent feature:
Stay green: How hotels and guests can make travel more sustainable
