Liquid Soap Trash Plastic or glass soap bottles can be recycled once empty. Make sure to remove pumps and place those in the trash. Unwanted liquid or bar soap is not compostable. Please place these items in the trash. Consider a mesh soap pouchUse a small mesh bag in the bath or shower to collect leftover soap pieces. The bag can then be used in the same manner as soap. This allows you to use up your small soap pieces and save some money. No Caps or Pumps Generally, caps and pumps aren’t recyclable, so throw them out. Empty Out Bottles To recycle a plastic liquid soap container, you can empty the bottle out. There is no need to rinse the bottle or remove labels. Refill Packets Go in the Garbage Refilling your liquid soap with a packet? Once it’s empty, toss it in the garbage. It can’t be recycled curbside because it’s made from mixed materials. Ways to Reduce Refill Liquid Soap Containers Instead of buying one small liquid soap container each time you run out, buy liquid soap in bulk and refill empty soap containers. Ridiculously Easy Homemade Liquid Soap Making your own liquid soap is much cheaper, less toxic and more environmentally friendly than buying it. You need only two ingredients — concentrated castile soap and a small bottle of essential oils. Did You Know? Liquid vs. Bar Soap: Which Is Greener? Liquid soaps require more energy to produce, and consumers use six times more liquid soap than bar soap each time they wash their hands. However, bar soap has a more significant impact on land use, since its ingredients are produced by farmed crops. People also use more water when washing their hands with bar soap than with liquid soap, so the jury’s still out on this one.