Malaysian hospitality group donates “Soapful” repurposed soap bars to Sungai Buloh Prison, as part of its continued efforts to support good causes and work towards UN Sustainable Development Goals
To mark World Hand Hygiene Day on 5 May 2021, Sunway City Kuala Lumpur Hotels has undertaken a major project to improve health and sanitation in at-risk communities in Malaysia, amid the ongoing global pandemic.
“Soapful” is an innovative CSR project that takes leftover soaps from Sunway City Kuala Lumpur Hotels, repurposes it and delivers new soap bars to those less fortunate. In partnership with Malaysian CARE, a local non-profit organisation, 100kg of soap was collected from Sunway Resort, Sunway Pyramid Hotel and Sunway Clio Hotel, and repurposed into 1,000 bars of soap, which were then provided to inmates at Sungai Buloh Prison, in an effort to support their personal care.
Officially launched by His Royal Highness Tengku Amir Shah Ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, the Crown Prince of Selangor, on 5 December 2018, the Soapful project sees Sunway Hotels & Resorts work with a certified soap-maker to sterilise and repurpose these bathroom amenities, then distribute them to social enterprises, community markets and other charitable platforms.
The company operates in collaboration with Ecolab Sdn Bhd, Kinder Soaps Sdn Bhd and the Selangor Youth Community (SAY), and in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to drive social progress and ensure that no-one is left behind.
“As the world marks World Hand Hygiene Day, we are delighted to raise awareness of this important issue through Soapful, our long-running CSR programme. With our repurposed soaps, the inmates at Sungai Buloh Prison will be able to maintain their health and hygiene, which is especially important during the current pandemic,” said Alex Castaldi, Senior General Manager, Sunway City Kuala Lumpur Hotels. “At Sunway City Kuala Lumpur Hotels, we stand in solidarity with those in need. We will continue to leverage our extensive resources in support of this long-term effort, providing even more repurposed soap bars to disadvantaged people in the coming months and years.”
Malaysian CARE has been working with prisoners and ex-prisoners since 1981. They coordinate visits to male, female and juvenile prisons, as well as operating two halfway homes – Rumah Kepercayaan for women and Rumah Petros for men – where they prepare ex-offenders to assimilate back into society. Soapful has played a crucial role in maintaining the hygiene of inmates, especially during the pandemic when visits by family members (who often bring hygiene products) have been reduced. The Soapful bars will be distributed to all inmates, prioritising those with no family support.
Soapful is part of the overarching #SunwayForGood movement, Sunway Group’s commitment to a sustainable environment, economy and society. Sunway Hotels & Resorts continually aligns its operating strategies and corporate culture with the SDG agenda; for example, all Sunway Hotels & Resorts have adopted SDG2, which focuses on “Zero Hunger”, and SDG12, which highlights “Responsible Consumption and Production”, fostering a better future for the communities in which Sunway lives and works.
Sunway Hotels & Resorts’ ongoing #ZeroFoodWastage programme is another key initiative, which donates surplus food from its food and beverage outlets to feed the urban poor. The group partners with FatHopes Energy Sdn Bhd for the conversion of used cooking oil into biodiesel, and collaborates with Kloth Cares to keep used fabrics out of landfill. It also turns food waste into compost and eliminates single-use plastic through its no-straws campaign.
“We are fully committed to the SDGs through our sustainability and social responsibility efforts. By rethinking, reusing, reducing, repurposing and recycling, Sunway continually strives to create a positive impact on society and the environment,” added Castaldi.
The global “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” campaign was launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2009 and is celebrated annually on 5 May, World Hand Hygiene Day. It aims to promote hand hygiene and to bring people together in support of improved sanitation around the world.
