Eco-Soap Bank
Promoting Hygiene and Creating Jobs for Women
Fast Facts
Location:
Multiple locations across Africa and Asia
Sponsored by:
Ann McStay and Susan Miller
Grant Years:
2020
Category:
Health, Job Skills
Website:
How Eco-Soap Bank Is Making a Difference
Eco-Soap Bank rescues discarded soap and distributes new bars to underserved communities to improve hygiene, reduce waste, and expand economic opportunity.
Work of Eco-Soap Bank
- Collects soap waste from manufacturers and hotels, then sanitizes, melts, and remolds it into usable new bars for distribution.
- Employs women in Africa and Asia in soap recycling hubs to sell the recycled soap, providing job training, employment, and empowerment.
- Supplies soap to health clinics, schools, nonprofit partners and public health programs in multiple countries where access to hygiene is limited.
- Educates partner communities on hygiene practices, particularly hand washing, as a means to prevent disease.
- Reduces environmental waste by diverting tons of soap scraps from landfills and converting them into lifesaving hygiene products.
Initiatives Supported by Project Redwood
2020: $30,000 to support salaries of hub managers in Cambodia, Nepal, Tanzania and Sierra Leone to scale recycling operations.