With a devastating 1.8 million children under the age of five dying each year from hygiene related illnesses, Soap Aid has created a vision to reduce the number of deaths linked to a lack of sanitation by more than 40 per cent through the recycling and redistribution of used soap products from hotels.
Oaks Hotels & Resorts’ Victorian hotels will lead the charge, joining a number of other hotel partners across the country, and with six properties spanning Melbourne and more than 1,000 guest rooms in the city, Southbank and South Yarra, the company hopes to play a part in ensuring as many children as possible have access to soap. Oaks Hotels & Resorts’ three Sydney properties are also earmarked to support the cause in the near future, with plans to eventually roll this out in other states.
Executive Manager of Oaks Hotels & Resorts’ Victorian and South Australian portfolio, Mr Nick Spyropoulos, commented, “Soap Aid has already recycled more than 250,000 bars of soap to date, so this initiative is clearly gaining momentum within the hotel industry. Oaks Hotels & Resorts is proud to partner with this charitable organisation and contribute to the fight against sanitation related deaths.
“This is a simple and exceptionally effective way of making a real difference in impoverished communities who cannot afford basic necessities like soap bars, and we encourage our Victorian hotel guests and fellow accommodation providers to rally behind this deserving operation. We also hope to extend our support for Soap Aid through our 51-strong property portfolio, which comprises more than 5000 rooms across Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates,” said Mr Spyropoulos.
Oaks Hotels & Resorts will collect its waste soap from its Melbourne hotel rooms, which will then be sent to a central processing plant for re-processing before being redistributed globally as a new, useful commodity. The initiative will also reduce Australian landfill.
For more information on and to donate to Soap Aid, visit www.soapaid.org.
For more information on Oaks Hotels & Resorts, visit www.oakshotelsresorts.com.
ABOUT OAKS HOTELS & RESORTS
Oaks Hotels & Resorts is one of Australia’s largest self-contained, accommodation providers, currently incorporating a portfolio of 51 properties spanning Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South and Western Australia as well as New Zealand, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
ABOUT MINOR HOTEL GROUP
Minor Hotel Group (MHG) is a hotel owner, operator and investor, currently with a portfolio of 134 hotels, resorts, camps and serviced suites in operation under the Anantara, AVANI, Per AQUUM, Oaks, Tivoli, Elewana, Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis and Minor International brands. Today MHG operates in 22 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and South America. For more information, please visit www.minorinternational.com.