French initiative transforms hotel waste into lifesaving soap

Hotel soaps are being recycled into new bars and distributed among people who struggle to afford it in France and abroad.

The initiative, called Unisoap, was launched in 2017 by Pauline Grumel, who said: “This project is part of an ecological and sustainable dynamic in which each eco-gesture counts. 

“We are working towards an eco-responsible form of tourism that affects professionals in this sector and the general public also.”

Her decision to create the organisation was motivated by both child hygiene concerns and efforts to reduce waste.

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Hygiene poverty

Each year, 2.2 million children die from diseases linked to a lack of hygiene.

In the same period, Unisoap estimates that more than 51 million soaps are thrown away by hotels across France.

The organisation currently collects soap from 390 hotels in 110 cities in France.

Gîtes and guest houses can also help the association by collecting soap, as well as by making a donation towards recycling costs.

Cleaning staff put old bars of soap, many of which have only been used once, in boxes supplied by the association, which are collected when full – usually with around 10-15kg of soap.

Hotels become patrons of the association and make a donation to partially cover the costs of transport and recycling, with the rest of the funds coming from corporate sponsorship, public subsidies and donations from supporters.

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Soap saved from landfill

The soap is sent to a factory near Lyon set up to help disabled people find work, where it is heated and reformed into new bars of soap.

No perfumes are added, so the soaps vary in smell.

Consultants from cosmetics companies ensure that the new bars meet the hygiene standards expected of soap sold in France.

The association also delivers training in schools and hospitals in France and abroad to encourage handwashing, following a Unicef advisory that says: “The simple act of washing hands with soap is one of the most effective ways to save children’s lives.”

Unisoap communications officer Océane Chancel said the initiative had been welcomed by soap manufacturers, some of whom had helped sponsor the association.

“The people who receive our soaps are people who have difficulty buying soap at market prices,” she said

“We therefore do not compete with them.”

The organisation said that in 2024, four tons of hotel soap were collected, 30,000 hygiene and cosmetics products saved from landfill, and 53,000 soaps and products distributed to people in need.

In 2023, it partnered with the social enterprise Goumbook to launch Unisoap in the UAE, the first Unisoap branch abroad.