Radisson Blu partners with the Soap for Hope programme, which recycles used hotel soap to create fresh bars for distribution in local communities with limited access to hygiene and sanitation.
The programme works in partnership with Sealed Air, a leader in food safety and security, facility hygiene and product protection. Soap for Hope was pioneered by Sealed Air to save lives by giving free soap to communities with limited access to soap, to create local entrepreneurs and to help hotels reduce waste through recycling.
Capitalizing on the success of projects in Georgia and in the Philippines, 23 Radisson Blu hotels across Africa, the Indian Ocean, Middle-East and APAC will collect used soap bars and pass them to Sealed Air representatives.
Local entrepreneurs are then shown how to recycle the soap using an innovative cold-press method, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete and requires no running water or electricity. The used soap is then distributed to local communities.
Stefan Phang, Sealed Air’s Regional CSR and sustainability director, commented: “A typical 400-room hotel generates 3.5 metric tons of solid soap waste each year.
“Hand-washing with soap is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrhea and respiratory diseases in developing countries, where millions of children every year suffer from diseases that could otherwise have been prevented.
“Partnering with Radisson Blu will provide an opportunity for us to grow our presence in emerging markets, where access to sanitation is a critical component of improving healthcare.”