An initiative aimed at diverting 10 000kg of soap from landfills and distributing recycled soap to underserved communities has been launched in Cape Town.
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American corporation Dow, cleaning and hygiene product provider Diversey and Stellenbosch-based non-profit Pebbles Project launched the Soap for Hope programme in Cape Town earlier this month.
The Soap For Hope initiative, a Diversey programme launched in 2013, operates in 50 countries across the globe, recycling discarded hotel guest soap and supporting communities with jobs.
The goals for Cape Town include:
- To divert 10 000 kg of soap bar waste each year from landfills and incineration towards recycling
- To distribute recycled soap bars in communities lacking in hygiene resources and to provide training on sanitation best practices
- To train and empower young adults to manage the recycling operation as a small business
‘Soap For Hope is a program that directly engages the local people in helping their (…) community,’ says Mariette Van Vuuren, sales director of South Africa, Diversey, a Solenis Company.
‘At the same time, it helps our hotel customers [by] diverting tons of solid soap waste to the local landfill. This will contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment in South Africa and create shared value for everyone involved – our company, our customers, and our communities.’
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According to Sophie Warner, founder and CEO of the Pebbles Project, recycled soap will be made available to communities that do not have access to proper hygiene tools.
In addition, the programme ‘will train unemployed young adults and women on entrepreneurship to upskill and empower them to run the recycling project as a small business’.
Premier Hotels & Resorts also joined the collaboration. ‘Recycling and green initiatives along with building the communities in which we operate [are] extremely important to us,’ says Richard Bray, Group Operations Manager at Premier Hotels & Resorts.
‘We are proud to join the Soap For Hope Project and look forward to helping this initiative take flight in making a difference in the local community.’
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Picture: Diversey / Facebook