Home News & Features Hilton Extends Soap Recycling to All 10 of Its Japan Hotels

Hilton Extends Soap Recycling to All 10 of Its Japan Hotels

810
0
SHARE

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide announced that it has extended its global soap recycling initiative to all 10 of its Japan hotels. The program supports the company’s commitment to divert waste from landfills through reuse, recycling and donations via its global RePurpose program, and enables Hilton Worldwide to make a significant contribution toward combating hygiene-related diseases in underprivileged communities in Asia.

Hilton Worldwide has partnered with Hong Kong-based Soap Cycling, Asia’s first soap recycling nonprofit organization, and JTB Trading, Inc., which sponsors the collection and shipping of the recovered soap to Hong Kong.

“We are pleased to extend soap recycling to our hotels in Japan, and to be Soap Cycling’s very first hospitality partner outside of Hong Kong,” said Timothy Soper, Vice President, Operations, Japan, Korea and Micronesia, Hilton Worldwide. “Our collaboration with JTB Trading, Inc. also demonstrates how impact can be amplified with like-minded partners. This initiative reinforces our efforts to reduce waste output and strengthen communities—two core pillars of our global corporate responsibility strategy.” Through this commitment, we aim to increase environmental awareness and personal ownership among our stakeholders, and enable our guests to make sustainable choices when they travel.”

Soap Cycling thoroughly sanitizes, processes and molds the soap into new bars, and then works with a network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to distribute the soap to underprivileged populations in Asia.

More Than Two Tons Collected

Hilton Worldwide’s 1,000-strong housekeeping team in Japan has already collected 2.3 tons of soap from its more than 5,300 hotel rooms across the country since starting the initiative in October 2013. This contributed 20,000 new bars of soap, some of which were directed towards disaster-stricken communities affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

David Bishop, founder and chairman of Soap Cycling, said, “Soap is a truly life-saving item. Research shows that simple hand washing in homes, hospitals, schools and elsewhere can save 900,000 lives annually by preventing hygiene-related diseases. Soap Cycling truly values the generous support from both Hilton Worldwide and JTB Trading, Inc.”

Globally, Hilton Worldwide announced its partnership with the U.S.-based Global Soap Project (GSP) in 2011. Since then, well over 120 tons of soap have been recovered from some 700 Hilton Worldwide hotels and donated to GSP and other recycling organizations, creating more than one million new bars of soap for underprivileged communities.

Atsushi Iwasawa, General Manager of JTB Trading, Inc. said, “Hilton Worldwide is an important business partner for JTB Trading, Inc., and it is a great pleasure for us to organize the collection, warehousing and shipping of recovered soap in partnership with Soap Cycling. We look forward to stepping up our contribution to society by increasing soap transportation volumes over time, in collaboration with Hilton Worldwide.”

Go to Hilton Worldwide.

LEAVE A REPLY