Cumbrian hospitality suppliers Out of Eden and the Netherwood Hotel & Spa are joining forces to tackle single-use plastic waste in the hospitality industry.

With an estimated 70 million bars of hard soap and 200 million travel size toiletries thrown away each year, hospitality supplier Out of Eden, based in Kirkby Stephen, is partnering with Maidenhead-based charity and social enterprise CleanConscience to create a toiletry recycling scheme across the UK.

Mike Gannon, Out of Eden managing director, said: “Sustainability is very high on our agenda and we are acutely aware of the issues of single use plastics in the hospitality industry. Our product range still includes travel-size toiletries, but by working closely with CleanConscience, we are offering a solution for products to be disposed of in a safe and sustainable way.”

The process involves collecting, decanting and rebottling liquid toiletries and hard soaps, and the leftover contents are turned into care kits for women’s shelters, refugee camps and for others in desperate need of hygiene products.

The hard soaps are cleaned and processed into raw materials and supplied to small-scale overseas manufacturers to help them generate in income.

Last month, the scheme took a huge step forward when Out of Eden celebrated their first sign up with the Netherwood Hotel & Spa in Grange-over-Sands.

Mike added: “Previously, access to CleanConscience’s initiative was limited to London-based hotels, however our partnership allows more people to get involved on a national scale. We are delighted to be working with the Netherwood.”