Hilton has announced that all 750 properties across its All Suites brands will recycle discarded soap and amenity bottles and donate them to reduce hygiene-related illnesses for communities in need.
Marking the first time in the industry this is required as a brand standard, it is a major expansion of what is already the industry’s largest soap recycling program that will now include 1,370 hotels participating across Hilton’s portfolio.
Hilton’s All Suites brands include Embassy Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton. They comprise nearly 15 percent of Hilton’s current portfolio and 29 percent of its pipeline, and the new brand standard will nearly double the number of hotels participating in the soap-recycling program.
Through its partnerships with Clean the World and other organizations, Hilton’s hotels have already collected more than one million pounds of partially-used soap, which have been recycled into more than four million new bars of soap.
This process has also prevented more than 570 tons of waste going to landfills. In addition to supplying the soap, these organizations educate people about the importance of hygiene and handwashing.
“The success of Clean the World hinges on the support of great partners like Hilton,” said Shawn Seipler, founder and CEO, Clean the World.
“This major expansion of Hilton’s soap recycling program will contribute to saving the lives of thousands of children every year.”
Hilton President and CEO, Christopher J. Nassetta, visited a hospital last week to deliver recycled soap while in Guayaquil, Ecuador for the South American Hotel Investment and Tourism Conference (SAHIC).
“As part of our mission to be the world’s most hospitable company, we are strongly committed to helping communities around the world through our Travel with Purpose corporate responsibility strategy, including our industry-leading soap recycling program,” Nassetta said.
“Nearly two million children die every year from preventable hygiene-related illnesses, and simple handwashing could cut these rates by nearly 50 percent.”
Through the program, hotels’ partially-used soaps and amenities are shipped to Clean the World’s collection and recycling centers.
There they are processed, remanufactured into new soap bars and prepared for distribution to homeless shelters, community centers and medical facilities in impoverished communities around the world.
“Across our All Suites portfolio, we are extremely proud to become the first three major hospitality brands to make soap recycling a brand standard when it goes into effect later this year,” said Bill Duncan, global head, All Suites brands.
“We look forward to this commitment making a significant impact on this incredibly important cause.”
In addition to its soap recycling program, Hilton leads many other sustainability initiatives, including not allowing microbeads in any of its amenities globally.
Hilton in Australasia is equally committed to soap recycling and has recently expanded contributions with partner, Soap Aid, to all 18 hotels across Australia and New Zealand, contributing 5.8 tonnes of soap since commencing support 17 months ago.