“Joining Clean the World enabled us to significantly strengthen our impact and adopt a more structured approach to circularity and social responsibility. Today, we place even greater emphasis on responsible supply chains, and IQ Hotel Milano is personally committed to promoting workplace inclusion for people with disabilities as a key component of our sustainability strategy”
Milan’s Tourism Boom and the Sustainability Imperative
Milan is experiencing a tourism boom. In 2024 the city welcomed approximately 9.07 million visitors, about 7% more than in 2023 and surpassing pre-pandemic records[1]. Tourists stay an average of 2–3 nights in Milan[2], contributing to over 10 million overnight stays annually[3]. With this influx, hundreds of hotels are thriving – but they also face growing responsibility to manage waste sustainably. A typical 200-room hotel can generate up to 300,000 pieces of single-use plastic in amenities every year[4], from shampoo bottles to wrappers. In a fashion and design capital now embracing the circular economy, hotels are expected to lead by example in waste reduction.
Local authorities have launched initiatives to encourage greener practices. Milan is known as a frontrunner in recycling and has even created the “Milano Plastic Free” campaign, urging businesses (including hotels) to cut down on disposable plastics[5]. Lombardy as a region leads Italy in waste recycling rates[6], and the city of Milan itself achieves over 60% separated waste collection[7]. Sustainable tourism charters and circular economy roadmaps are shaping the hospitality industry’s future here. Into this context, iQ Hotel Milano stands out as a best-practice example – demonstrating how a modern hotel can grow alongside Milan’s tourism boom while shrinking its environmental footprint.
iQ Hotel Milano’s Circular Solution: Partnership with Clean the World
iQ Hotel Milano is a contemporary 4-star “smart urban” hotel just steps from Milano Centrale railway station. Opened in 2019 after a complete renovation, this 69-room property offers “Easy Luxury” amenities like the panoramic LiQuido Rooftop Bar and a private spa, all tailored to modern travelers. Part of the boutique iQ Hotels group (with sister hotels in Rome, Florence, and Venice), iQ Hotel Milano prides itself on blending technology, comfort, and sustainability. From its inception, sustainability has been core to the hotel’s DNA. Even before partnering with Clean the World, iQ Hotel Milano had implemented numerous green initiatives:
- Energy efficiency: LED lighting and optimized HVAC systems to reduce energy use.
- Water conservation: Low-flow faucets and fixtures, plus a towel/linen reuse program to cut water and detergent consumption.
- Waste reduction: Basic recycling streams for paper, plastic, and glass, and use of eco-friendly guest amenities where possible.
- Social responsibility: Emphasis on responsible supply chains and workplace inclusion (hiring people with disabilities) as part of the hotel’s sustainability strategy.
Despite these efforts, management realized they were still discarding hundreds of nearly unused soap bars and plastic bottles each month from guest rooms. Determined to find a circular solution for this bathroom waste, they discovered Clean the World.
iQ Hotel Milano joined Clean the World’s program on 15 November 2019, becoming one of the first hotels in Italy to do so. “We first discovered Clean the World while researching impactful sustainability programs in hospitality,” the team recalls. “It offered a practical way to elevate our environmental and social commitment.” By partnering with Clean the World, iQ Hotel Milano committed to ensuring that no used soap or shampoo bottle from their guest rooms would ever go to landfill.
How the Recycling Program Works
Housekeeping staff at iQ Hotel Milano now collect used soap bars and empty plastic toiletry bottles from guest rooms in special Clean the World collection bins. Clean the World’s logistics partners pick up these bins through automated system, designed to make it seamless for hotel staff. At Clean the World’s European processing facility, the discarded soap is sanitized and re-manufactured into new bars of soap, while the plastic bottles are crushed, cleaned, and processed into plastic pellets that can be reused in new products[9][10]. Every collection is tracked via an online dashboard for transparency.
The hotel’s staff quickly adapted to the new routine, and guests appreciate knowing that their partially used amenities are being properly managed. iQ Hotel Milano can now quantify its waste diversion and social impact through Clean the World’s reporting system – aligning the program with the hotel’s sustainability goals and the broader UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Measurable Impact: Turning Waste into Worth
In the five years since joining Clean the World, iQ Hotel Milano has achieved significant, measurable results in its waste-management journey.
The table below summarizes the impact of iQ Hotel Milano’s participation in Clean the World’s recycling program (2019–2025):
|
Impact Metric
|
Result (2019–2025)
|
|---|---|
|
Soap waste collected
|
679 kg
|
|
Plastic amenity waste collected
|
1,839 kg
|
|
soap bars distributed to communities in need
|
13,689 bars
|
|
Water saved (via soap recycling)
|
18,866 liters (water conserved by reusing soap)
|
|
Carbon footprint reduction (est.)
|
927 kg CO₂ avoided (against a new bar of soap having to be made)
|
Figures are approximate, based on internal reporting as of October 2025.
These numbers underscore how a single hotel’s efforts can add up to a meaningful impact.
Leading on EU Sustainability Goals
Beyond its local impact, iQ Hotel Milano’s initiative positions it ahead of the curve on European sustainability regulations. The EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) – slated for full adoption by 2025 – will require businesses, including hotels, to drastically reduce single-use packaging. In fact, the PPWR calls for bans on single-use plastic packaging in hotels (such as small shampoo bottles and toiletry sachets) and mandates a shift to reusable or refillable solutions[12]. By 2030, all packaging in the EU must be recyclable or reusable under this regulation[13].
iQ Hotel Milano is already aligned with these upcoming rules. By eliminating single-use miniatures and managing plastic amenities through Clean the World, the hotel demonstrates compliance with the spirit of the PPWR ahead of deadlines. Milan’s own early move to go plastic-free[5] is echoed in iQ’s bathrooms, where bulk dispensers and recycling bins have replaced disposable plastics. These efforts not only meet regulatory demands but also appeal to today’s eco-aware travelers and tour operators who increasingly prefer hotels with sustainable practices[14][7].
Testimonial
By embedding such programs into its operations, iQ Hotel Milano exemplifies how luxury hospitality can lead on environmental and social responsibility. iQ Hotel Milano has earned respect as a leader in Milan’s sustainable hospitality scene, showing peers that circular practices are both feasible and rewarding.
