In an effort to promote sanitation and aid the poor, partially used and abandoned soaps from hotels in the UAE will now be hygienically recycled into new bars and delivered to them.
After working with the parent firm, the France-based non-profit organisation Unisoap, Goumbook, a social organisation committed to promoting sustainable living, has developed a new campaign called Unisoap UAE to reduce hotel waste.
By enabling circularity for hotel soap bars, this initiative will reduce trash, promote cleanliness in at-risk areas, and improve job prospects in the garbage industry.
Goumbook's managing director and founder, Tatiana Antonelli Abella, states, "When it comes to trash, the first lesson we constantly preach is minimization. To be able to turn garbage into something worthwhile, it's also crucial to view waste as a resource. This is something we've done with other campaigns as well, like when we turned a cigarette box into building supplies. In this instance, we know that Dubai is a popular tourist destination with a large number of hotels. They use a lot of luxuries, soap being one among them. Every year, millions of soaps are disposed away in landfills around the world.
Additionally, it is stated that the soaps that are gathered from one hotel would be kept together to preserve their scents and other qualities before being melted and turned into a new soap.
"This innovative soap will be given out locally to underserved neighbourhoods. In addition to giving them out in work camps, it can also be sold to families at a discount and donated to other organisations. Additionally, we wish to collaborate with charities to deliver soap to refugee camps. Our main objective is to increase public awareness of the value of washing your hands. Millions of people worldwide are dying as a result of a lack of information about fundamental sanitation. So, perhaps, this will have a positive social influence and increase hygiene awareness.
"Some individuals and hotels have signed the letter of intent. We already have some soap from one hotel, and it is in the process of being changed. Next month, we'll have the first soap ready, she continues.
In the first year, at least 10 hotels with a minimum of 500 rooms each will join this effort with the operating unit, which is based in Dubai Silicon Oasis.
"This is amazing because Unisoap in France typically works with hotels that have 50 rooms or fewer. The volumes are completely different from those in Europe, which is an intriguing aspect. The organisation is enormous and the hotels are enormous. So, there are a lot of rooms for each hotel, she continues.
The programme also complies with DET's 19 Sustainability Requirements for Hotels, which are aimed at advancing eco-friendly practises in the hospitality sector.
Senior officials from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) praised the initiatives taken by regional businesses to promote the UAE as a sustainable tourist destination.
The Department of Economy and Tourism of Dubai (DET) is pleased to have supported Goumbook for a fruitful, thought-provoking Think Tank that focused on responsible and sustainable tourism, according to Yousuf Lootah, Acting CEO of Corporate Strategy and Performance. By working with communities and involving locals in environmental protection, collaborating with hotels to promote sustainable practises, showcasing Dubai's natural beauty and biodiversity, and expanding opportunities for people to use public transport, DET is dedicated to ensuring sustainability in the tourism sector.
