Clean the World recyclers collect unwanted soap from hotels for the needy
Charity works with four global chains to reprocess unwanted soap bars for the less fortunate in a campaign aimed at hygiene and sustainability
Thousands of soap bars discarded by hotels every day will now get a new lease of life at a processing facility in Kwai Fong, the first of its kind in a city that lacks a proper market for recycling such products.
"The soap bars you see in the hotel bathroom sink or shower - some unused and in their packaging, others used just once or twice - basically have to be thrown in the trash every day," Jolene Han, the organisation's managing director, said.
"It's incredibly wasteful, considering that many people do not even have this basic necessity."
Clean the World's Hong Kong operation has collected more than seven tonnes of soap bars and in-room bottle amenities from over 2,000 luxury hotel rooms across the city since it was set up in February.
The charity is an offshoot of the Florida-based Clean the World Foundation, which was founded by Shawn Seipler and Paul Till in 2009.
It aims to hit 10 tonnes by the end of December. "Hopefully, by next year, we'll be able to double our capacity," Han said.