DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka Makes A Difference With The Launch Of The Soap For Hope™ Program

MELAKA, MALAYSIA – DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka has teamed up with Diversey and Beautiful Gate Foundation Melaka Centre for the launch of its soap-recycling program, Soap For Hope™. The hotel is the first in Melaka to take on the eco-friendly program that aims to enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities, and assist in their total integration into mainstream Malaysian society.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Beautiful Gate and Diversey to bring Soap For Hope alive in Melaka. Not only will we be reducing our carbon footprint and landfill, it is wonderful to be able to see the hotel soaps be repurposed in order to assist non-profit organisations in our local community such as Beautiful Gate, who do such great work in our local community,” said Carey Osborne, General Manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka.

Osborne (left) making the soap with the community from Beautiful Gate.

In support of the local community, team members of DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka assisted in handcrafting the soaps at the launch of the project. The event was graced by Stefan  Phang, Global CSV Director for Diversey; Audrey Low, Country Director (Malaysia and Singapore); Hor Kah Loon, Territory Account Manager; and Anandaraj A/L Dharmapola, Key Account Manager; as well as Eng Teck Hock, Chairman; Christina Tay, Coordinator-in-Chief for Soap For Hope, Loh Teck Meng, Treasurer and Lee Siew Pang, Head of Centre from the Beautiful Gate Foundation.

Approximately 80-100 kg were contributed during the launch, resulting in a total of 660-830 bars were made by following the stringent process of sanitizing and cleaning, grinding, melting, moulding and packaging.

DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka will be continuously contributing up to 50kg of soap to the Beautiful Gate Foundation, which will yield with approximately 420 recycled soap bars a month. The soaps made will then be sold in order to fund the foundation’s many projects for those disadvantaged in Melaka.

Every year, a typical 400-room hotel generates 3.5 tons of solid soap waste, and these hotel soap slivers can be salvaged and turned into new soap bars. The program focuses on three core objectives – saving lives by providing access to soap to communities who need soap but have no access; to provide livelihood to the local community through recycling and reprocessing soap, and helping hotels reduce waste by turning used soap into something useful again.

As a leading hospitality company in the world, Hilton intends to do their part by giving back to society and saving the earth.

To date globally, Hilton hotels across 127 countries have successfully participated in their very own soap recycling campaigns to recycle all guests used soap bars, and will continue to take place with all other properties around the world in committing to sending zero soap to landfills by the year 2030.

For more information about this program, please call +606 222 3333 or email Melaka.Info@hilton.com