Today is Global Handwashing Day—a simple gesture that helps reduce the spread of winter viruses. But what happens to the soaps left behind in our Disney Hotels? The answer comes from the HOPI team (Hotel Operation Projects & Implementation): used soaps are collected, reprocessed, and redistributed to improve sanitary conditions for families in need. Here’s how it works…
Since 2022, our Housekeeping teams have been collecting soaps that are barely or not used—provided they haven’t been kept as souvenirs by our guests!
These soaps are handed over to SapoCycle, a non-profit organization, which works with an ESAT (a French organization that provides employment support for people with disabilities). There, individuals in supported employment are responsible for recycling the soap, allowing them to work in a stable and rewarding environment.
The process is meticulous: the soap pieces are sorted, grated to remove the outer layer, then ground into flakes. These flakes are heated, filtered, and transformed into new soap bars.
Since the project launched three years ago, nearly ten tons of waste have been transformed, resulting in 99,000 new soap bars distributed to 24,000 underprivileged families through organizations such as Caritas, Secours populaire français, and Restos du Cœur.
This project is taking place alongside the progressive deployment of liquid soap dispensers in Disney Hotels.
Even the simplest actions, like recycling a bar of soap, can have a meaningful social and environmental impact!