SUNWAY SOAPFUL, A Soap Repurposing Project to Help the Homes & Environmental Conservation

Recently Sunway Hotels & Resorts launched Soapful, A Soap Repurposing Project to Help The Selected Homes and Environmental Conservation. For regular travelers, staying in hotels and resorts are a norm and usually we only use the hotel soap once or twice then it end up in the trash. Sunway Hotels & Resorts has now found a more sustainable way to repurpose used soaps to help communities in need.

SUNWAY SOAPFUL, A Soap Repurposing Project to Help the Homes & Environmental Conservation

This #SunwaySoapful project is a collaboration with various project partners – Ecolab Sdn Bhd, Kinder Soaps Sdn Bhd and the Selangor Youth Community (SAY). We were privileged to be able to learnt about the steps and ways on how to repurpose soaps during the launch event.

Sunway Group President Office Executive Vice President Evan Cheah, DYTM Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah, Sunway Hotels & Resorts Regional Senior General Manager Kelly Leong, Ecolab Malaysia and Singapore Managing Director Ong Kian Tick; and Kinder Soap Founder Anita Ho at the presentation of 1,000 soap bars to PKAYDEM

The event was graced by DYTM Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, who is also the Royal Patron of Selangor Youth Community (SAY). 

1,000 bars of repurposed soap to Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak Yatim Darul Ehsan Malaysia (PKAYDEM)

During the launch Sunway Hotels & Resorts presented 1,000 bars of repurposed soap to Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak Yatim Darul Ehsan Malaysia (PKAYDEM), under Yayasan Islam Darul Ehsan (YIDE), to kick start the home’s social enterprise project.

The children were guided to the Proper Hand Washing Procedures by ECOLAB

SAY selected PKAYDEM as the first beneficiary orphanage for the project as it is one of the orphanages that is most in need of help in the state of Selangor. Sunway Hotels & Resorts will then be working with a new beneficiary selected by SAY. SAY is a long-term partner in this project who will continue to identify the subsequent beneficiaries of this project based on its capacity and to be included as part of their social enterprise programme.

5-Step Soap Repurposing Process: Step 1 - Grating
 DYTM Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah having a go at grating soap together with the children, while Kinder Soap founder, Michelle Ho looks on

Besides that, I also learnt about the 5-step soap repurposing process during the event. But first, Ecolab demonstrated the proper hand washing procedures, which is an important step before starting the soap making process to ensure no bacteria is passed on, making it safe for personal use. Then, PKAYDEM’s children demonstrated the 5-step soap repurposing process in stations set within the Hotel. The five-step process involves grating, mashing, melting, molding, cutting and packaging.

5-Step Soap Repurposing Process: Step 2 - Mashing

The repurposed soaps were made from some 100 kgs of leftover soaps from Sunway Hotels & Resort’s located in Sunway City – Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Sunway Pyramid Hotel and Sunway Clio Hotel, which were collected since July this year. In 2019, this project will include the other five (5) hotels nationwide namely Sunway Putra Hotel, Sunway Velocity Hotel, Sunway Hotel Georgetown, Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya and The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat.

5-Step Soap Repurposing Process: Step 3 - Melting

Ecolab will facilitate the collection of used soap bars from the hotels, which are then delivered to Kinder Soaps’ processing lab to be repurposed into new bars of soap, following stringent standard operating procedures that adhere to safety and environment standards.

5-Step Soap Repurposing Process: Step 4 - Molding

Kinder Soaps will also be teaching and guiding selected homes on the processes of repurposing used soaps. At the end of the one-year project, the aim is for the home to be able to produce their own repurposed soaps for personal use and to be sold as part of their social enterprise programmes at charity sales, community markets and other social platforms.

5-Step Soap Repurposing Process: Step 5 - Cutting & Packaging

Sunway Hotels & Resorts’ #SunwayForGood #SunwaySoapful project was conceptualised to deliver benefits to the environment, society, and the economy in alignment with the hospitality group’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which aims to drive sustainable progress that leaves no one behind. Here are the 4 benefits of #SunwaySoapful

1. benefit the environment by removing soap waste from the landfills

2. to help the home to reduce cost as the repurposed soap bars are also meant for their personal use

3. to help the children cultivate meaningful business skills that will help them break the cycle of poverty

4. the children will use these life skills to start their own business and pursue social mobility

SUNWAY SOAPFUL, A Soap Repurposing Project to Help the Homes & Environmental Conservation

Overall #SunwaySoapful is a very good initiative by Sunway Hotels & Resorts, Ecolab, Kinder Soaps and SAY not only it helps the homes but at the same time train the children with some skills, reduce the wastage of soap and also towards a more sustainable environment. 

For more information and updates about #SunwaySoapful and #SunwayForGood please visit about www.sunwayhotels.com