We set up sorted recycling a long time ago. But we felt we needed to go further, even if it made life a bit more complicated. So since June 2026, we've started a transition we're taking on as a genuine constraint: no longer relying on non-recyclable disposable plastic at the hotel. Capsule coffee, individual shower gel, wrapped soap bars, disposable tablecloths, cardboard cups... everything's on the list, one item at a time, at the pace we find real solutions.
A small honest note before getting into the details: we haven't thrown anything away needlessly. Every disposable item still in stock is used up before being replaced — there's no question of wasting things just to look good. The change is happening gradually, at the pace of our 3D printer and our trials.
Soap and shower gel
This was our favourite challenge. We had 4 different plastic wrappers per room for soap and shower gel — a real waste. The solution: a push-cap dispenser, set into a jar we make ourselves with a 3D printer. The jar is custom-made, and the soap comes from a local company that sells it in 5-litre containers, at a price close to what we used to pay for disposables. Without raising the price per room, we've eliminated 4 plastic wrappers. The cost of making the jars pays for itself quickly.
One small caveat we're happy to admit: the immortelle soap we use is so good that we're almost worried guests might overuse it. We'd rather have that problem than tonnes of plastic packaging.
The jar is printed in PLA, a biosourced plastic (made from corn starch) rather than one derived from petroleum. But that's not really the main point: unlike the packaging it replaces, this jar isn't disposable — it's reused season after season, refilled from the container rather than bought new each time.
Table linens
Before, we had white fabric tablecloths, protected on top by a disposable one — besides being less eco-friendly, it also looked less polished in the dining room. We're switching to coated Jacquard fabric from Les Toiles d'Aquitaine, who gave us a sample to test under real conditions. The coated fabric wipes clean easily with a sponge — no more removing the disposable tablecloth, running the fabric one through the wash, then resetting the table for each service. The time saving we're expecting: around 20 minutes each evening to set up the restaurant. Ordering the new tablecloths is planned for mid-season.
Glasses
Disposable cardboard cups are being replaced with real glasses. That means more storage, more trips back and forth to the kitchen for the dishwasher — clearly less convenient day to day. But it's one more win against disposables, and we're willing to take on that bit of extra work.
Bins
One challenge we hadn't anticipated: without a disposable bin liner, bins need to be cleaned after every guest, since there's no lining to protect them. For now, we've removed the plastic liner from the bedroom bin, keeping it only for the bathroom bin — that's 50% fewer plastic liners used per room. We're still thinking through the rest: if you know a solution that works well in practice, we'd love to hear it.
What we're keeping, and why
We're keeping individually wrapped sugar sachets. Not for convenience: the region is full of ants, and without individual packaging, there's no way to store loose sugar without trouble. Sometimes disposable really is the least bad option.
What's next
We're still looking for an alternative for coffee — in the rooms, we're still using individual disposable instant coffee sachets, and we haven't found a solution that ticks every box (taste, practicality, cost). One idea we're considering: offering coffee for free at reception instead of a sachet in every room, and simply doing away with the instant coffee sticks altogether. Nothing's decided yet — if a reader has another idea, the comments are open.
The past isn't fully past yet, but the future is coming fast. We keep going, at our own pace, without pretending we've already solved everything.
Vincent & Wednesday
Hôtel Le Vaïta ***