FAQs
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The Global Soap Project is a non-profit organization with tax-exempt 501(c) 3 status (effective January 1, 2010) that recovers and recycles soap from US hotels that would otherwise end up in landfills. The soap is sorted, reprocessed and remolded into new bars to be distributed to vulnerable populations around the world such as refugees, orphans and disaster victims.
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Derreck Kayongo, a humanitarian relief expert, and his Ugandan family fled the tyranny of Idi Amin in 1979 to become refugees in Kenya. Today, there are millions more internally displaced persons throughout Central and Eastern Africa, struggling to survive with limited or no access to clean water and soap. According to the United Nations, there are currently 45 million refugees around the world.[1] Because of Derreck’s firsthand experience with the challenges of life in a refugee camp, he and his wife Sarah felt the need to make a difference and founded the Global Soap Project in 2009. Derreck and his father, the honorable Tom Kayongo, built a logistical process to recover, recycle and distribute soap to refugee camps and other vulnerable populations. Derreck’s effort is supported by the Board of Directors comprised of travel industry veterans, corporate social responsibility specialists and experienced global economic development consultants to ensure the organization will grow in the most efficient and effective way possible.
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Why not?! There are approximately 4.7 million hotel rooms in the United States that discard over 2 million partially used bars of soap every day! The number one cause of preventable death of children in Africa is unsanitary living conditions mostly due to lack of soap and potable water. For children under the age of five years, two of the leading causes of death are diarrhea and lower respiratory infections, many of which can be prevented with proper hygiene. Soap and clean water can reduce preventable deaths caused by diarrheal and upper respiratory diseases by over 40%.
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Yes! Soap is an antibacterial product whose sole purpose is to kill germs of any kind. Simply put, bacteria cannot grow on soap. GSP exercises extreme caution in sorting, cleaning, and processing soap to ensure its’ integrity. On top of that, we use an outside lab to confirm the safety of random samples of our reprocessed soap on a regular basis.
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As of February, 2012 over 600 hotels across the US are participating.
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No. Our production process requires that we manufacture soap in large batches, and each batch can contain only one type of soap. Therefore soap in small quantities cannot be reprocessed.
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Vulnerable populations including orphans, refugees, and disaster victims are the targets of GSP’s efforts. Typically organizations proactively contact GSP and are then screened and vetted as appropriate recipients. We have shipped directly or through NGO’s to Haiti, Uganda, Swaziland, Kenya, Ghana and St. Lucia. Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, South Sudan,
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We work with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) as well as faith-based organizations who have established presence in countries GSP serves and where those organizations can serve as the final distribution channel to the population in need.
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As of February 2012, GSP has distributed over 100,000 bars to eighteen different countries, including Haiti, South Sudan, Benin, Guatemala, Honduras, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to name a few. We do some direct distribution and we also partner with small and larger NGOs to help us dispense the soap to vulnerable populations.
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This is one of many options we are currently evaluating to build sustainable funding for the organization.
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The only cost to the hotel is shipping or delivering soap to the Global Soap Project warehouse, or the nearest Regional Collection Center if applicable. However, the cost of shipping is tax deductible.
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We would prefer that hotels collect and ship soap in their original boxes, to keep our footprint as small as possible. . If these are not available, larger copy-paper boxes with lids work well, although they will be heavy when filled.
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Typically the soap is stored in the Housekeeping Department until there is a sufficient quantity for shipping. Consider collaborating with other participating hotels in your area on a central storage location and finding efficient ways to ship or coordinate pick up from the Global Soap Project.
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The Global Soap Project is working to develop a tracking system for the purpose of tallying total donation weights by individual hotels. Unfortunately we don’t have this ready at this time. Partner hotels are kindly asked to weigh the soap before each shipment and keep a tally of their own donations.
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No. The small containers cannot be recycled, so little is gained in terms of waste reduction. Additionally, opened (unsealed) containers of liquid soap are subject to potential contamination in ways that bar soap is not.
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Ship soap only after notifying GSP of the amount of soap and date of delivery so GSP can make sure the warehouse is staffed. Notify GSP by sending an email to hotels@globalsoap.org. Once confirmed with GSP, soap donations should be shipped to: 6901 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Norcross, Georgia 30092.
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No, we do not pay for shipping soap from a donor hotel to the GSP warehouse. Donor hotels are encouraged to confirm whether or not their hotel or hotel brand has preferred shipping rates with carriers such as UPS or FedEx which can mean significant savings. Shipping costs are tax-deductible.
NOTE: In some cities, hotels have worked together to pool delivery efforts so that a single truck, sponsored by a different hotel each month, takes all of the hotels’ soap each month.
GSP is working to create Regional Collection Centers for the hotels’ convenience, and to reduce the financial and environmental costs of shipping and delivery. Watch our site for periodic updates on Center locations.
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Get started right away by posting information about your GSP participation on your hotel web site, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Not only will it enhance the image of your hotel, but it will help GSP with growing awareness and, subsequently, financial or in-kind donations.
Certainly hotels are encouraged to promote their participation in GSP as part of the hotel’s sustainability efforts. This is a very big issue with meeting planners and corporate travel managers, and it often gives participating hotels a competitive edge.
GSP provides individual hotel listings on the GSP website; periodic newsletters sharing hotel stories and pictures of collection efforts or fundraising in your local community; education on hand-washing efforts in 3rdworld countries; friendly competitions between participating hotels; and even chances to work and travel with the GSP organization. GSP will acknowledge every Hotel’s valued donations with an annual certificate. Do you have ideas of your own to add to this list?! If so, send them to hotels@globalsoap.org.
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