Recycling/re-using the contents of airline amenity kits?

September 15, 2017 6:07 AM

I travel a lot, and sometimes I can fly business class, so I've collected quite a few airline amenity kits. I seldom use the contents. Ideas for what I could do with them, instead of simply junking them? Difficulty level: UK, southern England.

The contents of a kit normally include a pair of loose socks, an eye mask, a lip balm, and some sort of skincare product, all done up in a zipped case. I might use the mask if it's a night flight, but I still end up with a few spare ones. I have quite a lot of the cosmetics, but the tubes are sample size.

I really would rather not just bin these. I know some charities will take cosmetic samples. But what to do with the rest?

posted by Logophiliac to Grab Bag (14 answers total)

If you (or friends?) have overnight guests, stash them in guest rooms!
posted by Drosera at 6:09 AM on September 15, 2017 [9 favorites]

Cooperative feeding programs will take them. Some have shower facilities on site for clients, but they all need toiletries.
posted by bilabial at 6:15 AM on September 15, 2017 [2 favorites]

I was considering making up some zip-loc bags with a pair of clean socks, a $5 gift card for Dunkin' Donuts, a small packet of wipes/tissues, and a granola bar: this year the city where I work repealed its anti-panandling laws, and there are people begging on every street corner. If I kept a bag like this in my car and in my backpack, I could give them to people who are begging. *shrug*

Maybe those bags of your could be the start of a similar thing?

Here's a list that someone made up: http://www.morewithlessmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/What-the-Homeless-REALLY-Want-in-Care-Packages.pdf
posted by wenestvedt at 6:32 AM on September 15, 2017 [7 favorites]

Just leave them on the plane/hand them back to the flight crew so they know they're unused?

That seems the least wasteful option.

Keep one of the masks you've already been given and take it with you on future night flights so you don't have to keep breaking open an entire packet just to use that one item.
posted by penguin pie at 6:37 AM on September 15, 2017 [4 favorites]

Homeless people pretty much always can use socks and I assume lip balm and other skin care products might be welcome too.
posted by Too-Ticky at 6:40 AM on September 15, 2017 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Domestic violence or women's shelters would most likely be happy to have these as donations.
posted by rdnnyc at 6:57 AM on September 15, 2017 [4 favorites]

Best answer: The people who are suggesting homeless people have the right idea. You don't have to donate them to a charity; you can literally just hand them out on a Saturday night. Alternatively you can give them to any church with a soup kitchen. If you don't live in an area where that's not a thing, you can post them to Robes Wednesday Club.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:22 AM on September 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

I've sold them at carboot sales before (as the complete kit with everything in), the business class ones seem pretty popular.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:23 AM on September 15, 2017

Homeless/women's shelter.
posted by heathrowga at 8:53 AM on September 15, 2017

Best answer: I like the charitable suggestions above, and would also add that you might also check with charity groups or agencies that work with foster children or school children in need to see if they could use these kits. Maybe senior citizen facilities or adults with special needs groups as well?

However, speaking as a person who just went deep down an eBay airline memorabilia rabbit hole, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that there are A LOT of these types of kits for sale on eBay. So that's also an option.
posted by helloimjennsco at 9:53 AM on September 15, 2017

I agree with penguin pie and vote leave them on the plane, as the least wasteful option, environmentally speaking.

For ones you already have, shelters are a good idea, but if you have the time and inclination, you could gussy them up a bit with ribbon or pretty tissue paper and sell them as bridesmaids favors or birthday bash favors.
posted by vignettist at 10:16 AM on September 15, 2017

Most airlines won't reuse those kits, so leaving them behind does nothing for the environment.
posted by praemunire at 10:54 AM on September 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

They won't reuse still sealed, never opened kits? Because someone touched them in order to say "please take this back, I don't need it"? That's a shame.
posted by vignettist at 11:03 AM on September 15, 2017

Nobody wants to be the airline where a business class passenger opens an apparently closed kit to find a used tampon or whatever.
posted by praemunire at 11:39 AM on September 15, 2017 [1 favorite]