Have you ever thought about what happens to that bar of soap you open at a hotel for your night’s stay? Shorter visits may only require you using less than a quarter of the bar, and before David Bishop thought about this conundrum the soap would be tossed out with the trash when housekeeping came around. The estimated one million bars of soap from hotels thrown away each day in the United States then become chemical waste in landfills. Bishop recognized this problem and connected it with another – child mortality rates.
Diarrhea kills 800,000 children under the age of five every year. This is only one example of a disease that could be partially prevented if these people washed their hands with soap. To combat this horrific statistic, Bishop, a Hong Kong law professor, began the organization Soap Cycling in 2011.
Soap Cycling works with the hospitality industry to collect, sanitize and recycle slightly used soaps and other sanitation amenities. They then coordinate with NGOs to distribute the soap to children and families in disadvantaged communities, mostly in Asia. A few of their more notable partners are Hilton Worldwide and the Lee Hysan Foundation.
Perhaps the most impressive and admirable aspect of Soap Cycling is the fact that none of its employees are paid. Positions are filled by students from Bishop’s university and he supervises their work. Other professionals in Hong Kong such as law, public relations and web design firms donate their time and efforts as well to form a well-run and effective nonprofit.
The idea that the bars of soap are not simply a handout is another takeaway from this organization. Soap Cycling partners with schools and other establishments in the countries they reach to educate children on proper sanitation techniques. This ensures that they are getting to the root of the problem and that the efforts put into collecting and distributing the soap are not wasted. Soap Cycling is focused on changing lives, not on selling an image or a school project.
As a young company with many partners and constant pool of student workers, Soap Cycling is sure to continue growing and reaching new areas of the world. They are driven by a passion to see children live long, healthy, and quality lives, and to give students an education in leadership, business, and empathy. Hopefully every entrepreneur can look to this example and find inspiration.