Can we save 182,500,000 plastic shampoo bottles from landfill Per Year from hotels alone?

It’s common practice for hotels to offer their guests complimentary ~30ml shampoo and conditioner bottles, but all too often these end up in landfil. Hotels throw these small bottles in the bin even if they’re only half used, and according to NBC ‘half a million little shampoo bottles end up in landfills every day.’

The simple switch to dispensers could save an amazing amount of plastic and shampoo.

The Problem

What is Dehydrated Shampoo?

These balls are simply powdered shampoo compressed into small balls. When added to water and rolled in the palm of the hand they work just like normal shampoo.

Why Dehydrate Shampoo? Manufacture: 80% of content in bottled shampoo is water - if the average hotel bottle is 30ml then shampoo balls could save an an amazing 4,380,000 litres of water per year!

Packaging: Dehydrated shampoo can be packaged just like washing detergent in a recyclable cardboard box - Saving an estimated 182,500,000 hotel shampoo bottles per year!

Transport: It only takes 2 lorry loads of dehydrated shampoo to deliver the same amount of washes as 10. That’s before factoring in that cardboard boxes tesselate better than shampoo bottles!

Usage: Shampoo balls are pre defined portions, so users can’t use & waste extra shampoo. Hotels no longer have to throw away half opened bottles, saving wasted shampoo as well as plastic!

The Solution

When the top is twisted a prop turns a paddle, pushing a ball over the open hole. The new space is then filled with another ball in the same motion, ready for the next use.

FIlling the dispenser is easy. Much like a pepper mill the centre piece unscrews before the outer piece slides off the square prop shaft. The cavity is then filled with balls before reassembly.

Dispensers can be customised to suit the Hotel’s branding. Refilling should be done every time the room is cleaned

A quarter twist at the top drops a shampoo ball into the holding hand at the bottom.