2.5 billion people still do not have access to basic sanitation facilities such as a toilet or latrine. Without adequate sanitation, there is a higher risk of disease transmission such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio.
Now imagine the last hotel room you stayed in. Were you provided at least one bar of soap in your bathroom? How many times did you use it? Did you take it home with you when you completed your stay, or did you leave it for the hotel crew to clean up?
One organization consists of a small but mighty team working to save, sanitize and supply recycled hotel soap in efforts to improve sanitation access for the developing world: Eco-Soap Bank.
To date, Eco-Soap Bank has successfully recycled over 12 tons of soap from hotels in ten countries worldwide, reaching more than 1.1 million people who otherwise may not have consistent access to basic sanitation.
I am so excited to share that the Eco-Soap Bank team is launching a new nonprofit initiative that will result in the hire an additional 45 women in Cambodia: Project EcoSoap! If there were any additional reasons to love this organization and their mission, it’s this. Not only are they improving WASH conditions in developing countries, but they are also dedicated to the economic empowerment of women (which by the way, has a ripple effect to promote gender equality in more ways than one)!
I have been on the hunt for a zero waste soap and have purchased some from Lush, farmers’ markets, and also bar soaps found in grocery stores, but Project EcoSoap is a gamechanger. But before I begin, they are launching a Kickstarter campaign on Thursday, May 1, and if you sign up for updates, you get a chance to win ONE YEAR OF FREE SOAP!
Let me list the reasons how your purchase of the EcoSoap is both good for the environment and humanity:
- you directly contribute to the employment of rural women in Cambodia
- you support an organization committed to reduce waste generated by hotels
- you increase sanitation access for people around the world; every Project EcoSoap bar purchased will lead to 100 bars that are donated to children in need!
- you support an organization that is not only providing free soap to those in need, but also providing essential hygiene education to prevent waterborne disease transmission
It is so inspiring to see how organizations such as Eco-Soap Bank and initiatives such as Project EcoSoap can tangibly transform the lives of people through sanitation, health hygiene education, and economic empowerment. I hope more organizations will follow their lead to do good in the world!
Project EcoSoap needs your support! Please visit their website and sign up for updates, and once they launch on May 1, consider contributing to their campaign so they can achieve their goal to empower more women in rural Cambodia.
A Healthy Blueprint 