The Hidden Power of a Bar of Soap
Every year, millions of partially used hotel soaps are thrown away—an astonishing waste of a resource that could save lives. Eco-Soap Bank, a nonprofit organization founded in 2014, has built a global movement to recycle that waste into hope, hygiene, and empowerment.
The Mission: Hygiene for All
Eco-Soap Bank’s mission is simple but powerful:
To provide access to hygiene for every person on Earth while promoting sustainable livelihoods and protecting the environment.
The organization envisions a world where no child dies from preventable hygiene-related illnesses and no usable soap ends up in landfills.
The Three Core Initiatives of Eco-Soap Bank
Eco-Soap Bank fulfills its mission through three interconnected initiatives:
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🧼 Recycling Soap Waste
Collecting discarded soap bars from hotels, lodges, and manufacturers worldwide. These scraps are cleaned, sanitized, and reprocessed into new bars. -
👩🦱 Empowering Women
The organization employs economically disadvantaged women in developing countries to reprocess and distribute soap. These jobs provide stable income and financial independence, helping entire families rise out of poverty. -
🌱 Promoting Hygiene Education
Clean hands save lives. Eco-Soap Bank partners with schools, hospitals, and community groups to teach the importance of handwashing—especially in rural areas where soap is scarce.
How Soap Donations Fuel Hygiene Education
Every bar of recycled soap distributed by Eco-Soap Bank carries a message: clean hands are the foundation of good health. When communities receive soap, they also receive hygiene lessons that help prevent diseases such as diarrhea and respiratory infections.
By linking soap access with education, Eco-Soap Bank ensures long-term impact—reducing illness, improving school attendance, and creating generational health benefits.
The Recycling Process: From Waste to Hope
Eco-Soap Bank has perfected a safe and efficient recycling process that transforms discarded soap into a valuable resource:
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Collection: Partner hotels, lodges, and manufacturers send used soap scraps to local Eco-Soap Bank workshops.
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Sorting & Sanitizing: The soap is cleaned, sanitized, and shredded to remove impurities.
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Reforming: The soap shavings are pressed into new, clean bars.
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Distribution: The recycled soap is distributed to schools, clinics, and communities in need—accompanied by hygiene education sessions.
Who Donates Soap Scraps?
Eco-Soap Bank partners with hundreds of hospitality brands—from local bed-and-breakfasts to major hotel chains—alongside small soap manufacturers (like us!) as well as corporate sponsors.
If you own or manage a business that produces soap waste, you can donate scraps through their #ScrapPack initiative, which makes participation simple and affordable.
The #ScrapPack Initiative: Join the Movement
The #ScrapPack is Eco-Soap Bank’s innovative campaign that invites individuals, small businesses, and crafters to make a difference. You can order a Scrap Pack kit directly from Eco-Soap Bank’s website, fill it with your soap scraps, and ship it back.
Your scraps will be recycled into new bars of soap that go directly to communities in need. It’s a small action with a massive ripple effect.
Because I love the look and the feel of beveled edges on all our bars of handmade soap –
This also means we generate a lot of scrap! Being part of Eco-Soap Bank’s #ScrapPack means that we can divert this from the landfill, and donate our handmade soap to a very worthy cause.
How You Can Get Involved
There are many ways to support Eco-Soap Bank’s life-changing work:
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Donate Soap: Collect and send your soap scraps by joining the #ScrapPack.
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Become a Partner: If you represent a hotel, spa, manufacturer, or a small scale soaping business – join the growing network of soap donors.
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Give Monthly: Financial donations help fund hygiene education and create more jobs for women.
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Spread the Word: Share your support on social media using the hashtag #ScrapPack to inspire others.
You can learn more at EcoSoapBank.org
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