Ten years ago, Eco-Soap Bank began with a simple yet transformative idea: recycle discarded soap to improve global hygiene. What started as a small initiative has since grown into a global movement, preventing waste, creating jobs, and providing lifesaving soap to millions.
This milestone is a testament to the impact we’ve made and the future we’re building. In this post, we’ll explore the key milestones that shaped our journey, share powerful stories from those we serve, and highlight what’s next in our mission to make hygiene accessible and sustainable for all.
In our early days, we focused on collecting and sanitizing partially used hotel soap, giving it a second life in communities without reliable access to hygiene products. It was a practical and sustainable solution—but as we evolved, we uncovered an even greater opportunity.
Each year, soap factories around the world discard approximately 25,000 metric tons of unused soap scraps, sending perfectly good material straight to landfills. Recognizing this immense source of waste, we pivoted our model. By partnering directly with soap manufacturers and artisan soapmakers, we scaled our operations, rescued more materials, and provided even more people with high-quality, recycled soap.
This shift came with challenges—refining collection processes, building sustainable supply chains, and ensuring our environmental and humanitarian impact remained strong. But through innovation and collaboration, we transformed an industry-wide waste problem into a powerful solution, proving that recycled soap can change lives, protect the planet, and create economic opportunities.
Eco-Soap Bank has grown from a small-scale initiative into a global movement. Over ten years*, we have:
*Statistics as of March 2025
Each number represents real change—a child who can wash their hands at school, a family with reliable access to hygiene, a woman earning an income to support her community. And we’re just getting started.
This progress is only possible because of the partners, donors, and advocates who believe in our mission. By prioritizing sustainability and hygiene access, we are proving that recycled soap is a tool for global health, empowerment, and change.
Behind every bar of recycled soap is a person whose life has been transformed. Here are just a few of the voices that inspire us:
Mrs. Morn Korn, Soapmaker at our Cambodia Hub:
“Since I started working with Eco-Soap Bank, I can buy enough food for my family, and I am so happy to have a supportive team. When I feel down or depressed, my team at Eco-Soap Bank always motivates and supports me. Thank you!”
A Partner School on Student Confidence:
“Many students would avoid certain classroom activities or remove themselves from the classroom to discover the underlying issue was low self-esteem or concerns about their cleanliness... With these barriers eliminated, we are able to watch them blossom in school both academically and socially.”
A School Nurse in Raytown School District:
“I was happy to hear from a mother of one of my students as she was very thankful that we supplied her student with hygiene items. She was near tears, explaining that things were tight and she was so thankful for the program. It is so nice to have this resource for our students!”
Co-Executive Director, Synergy Services (Partner NGO):
“It is impossible to have confidence in the workplace or school without the ability to have soap for showers, shampoo for clean hair, deodorant, and toothpaste to not be offensive, and the comfort and safety of overall good hygiene.”
Moments like these fuel our mission. Whether by expanding into new countries, forming key partnerships, or empowering local soapmakers, every step forward is built on real impact.
Eco-Soap Bank was founded on the belief that solving global challenges requires innovative, sustainable solutions. Recycling soap waste into life-changing hygiene products improves health outcomes and drives a circular economy—a system where resources are reused and reintegrated rather than discarded.
Each year, the soap industry produces 25,000 metric tons of waste. Through our partnerships, we intercept this waste, transform it into new bars of soap, and distribute it to communities that lack access to basic hygiene. This closed-loop approach prevents millions of pounds of soap from being wasted, reducing landfill contributions and lowering the environmental footprint of soap production.
But sustainability isn’t just about waste reduction—it’s about long-term global health. Hygiene-related illnesses remain a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide, particularly among children. By providing both soap and comprehensive hygiene education, we empower individuals with the knowledge and resources to protect themselves against disease, breaking cycles of illness and poverty.
Eco-Soap Bank’s model proves that environmental responsibility and humanitarian aid can go hand in hand. By aligning sustainability with public health, we’re creating a ripple effect—cleaner communities, healthier families, and a global shift toward smarter, waste-conscious solutions.
As we celebrate ten years of Eco-Soap Bank, we are filled with gratitude for every donor, partner, volunteer, and advocate who has made this journey possible. Your support has turned discarded soap into a life-changing resource, provided meaningful employment, and empowered millions with the tools for better hygiene. None of this would be possible without you.
Together, let's create a world where hygiene is a right, not a privilege.
Learn how you can support us for the next 10 years
1800 Murray Ave PO box 81188 Pittsburgh PA 15217
Please do not send soap to this address
+1 610 762 3265
contact@ecosoapbank.org
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