When William Roam sells soap, shampoo and conditioner to its customers, one percent of all sales are pledged to environmental organizations as part of the company’s 1% for the Planet commitment. Through its Roam Foundation it awards scholarships to college students studying hotel and restaurant management. Through its partnership with the Julian Center, an Indianapolis-based organization that provides safe haven to victims of domestic abuse, William Roam team members volunteer their time and also supply amenities to the center’s residents.
William Roam, like other amenity suppliers in the lodging industry, shares its success with the local community and those in need far beyond its home base. Green Lodging News recently approached amenity and dispenser suppliers and asked them to provide examples of ways they donate product, time and money to charitable efforts. Only a handful of companies responded.
According to Jamie Ritchie, Lead Graphic Designer & Marketing Coordinator for RoomService Amenities, RoomService Amenities last year was recognized as a Matthew 25: Ministries 2016 Green Giving Partner. Matthew 25: Ministries is a top-ranked humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization headquartered in Cincinnati. Matthew 25: Ministries rescues and reuses more than 15 million pounds of corporate discontinues, misprints, overruns, off-spec, slightly damaged, returned and past season products each year and redistributes them to people in desperate need throughout the United States and worldwide.
LATHER’s new baobab & shea collection includes extracts from Africa’s baobab and shea trees. The harvesting of both of these crops promotes the well-being of women and their communities in Africa.
Concept Amenities: Founder of Soap Aid
Gary Coward, President & COO of Concept Amenities, a company that now offers carbon neutral amenities, says his company (just acquired by Hunter Amenities) is the founder and principal sponsor of Soap Aid, an Australia-based organization with the mission of saving and improving lives of children in disadvantage communities through the facilitation of improved hygiene practices around the use of soap. Soap Aid reprocesses partially used soap into useable, clean bars of soap. These bars of soap are then distributed to those in need.
For Concept Amenities’ Enriched Brand, Argan Oil is purchased from the Moroccan woman Ajddigue Co-Operative in the town of Tidzi to support the Fair Trade movement.
Coward says Concept Amenities encourages employees to take four paid days off each year to support their favorite charity. Concept Amenities also donates $100 to a staff member’s favorite charity on their birthday.
Every bar of soap purchased through Health 2 Humanity Global helps fund entrepreneurship programs in Africa. Over the past three years, Health 2 Humanity Global has helped start 12 soap businesses in Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana. All of them are still in business today; providing a total of 28 jobs for families while increasing community hygiene.
John Cefalu, Founder of Health 2 Humanity Global, says his nonprofit is using hygiene products as a vehicle to empower people. Health 2 Humanity Global teaches people how to make, market and sell soap. De Verges Jones, COO of Health 2 Humanity Global, says four different bar soaps are currently available. “We will expand into four more soaps this year,” Jones says, adding that Health 2 Humanity Global also intends to offer liquid soaps this year.
For hotels in North America, Health 2 Humanity Global soap is made in California. “The soap is doing quite well,” Cefalu says. Point of sale material is available for retail shops and soap packaging also communicates the benefits of purchasing the soap that currently is available in 2.0 and 4.7 ounces. “We can go down lower in ounces if we need to,” Cefalu says.
Guest Supply is a strategic partner with Clean the World. It helps collect and then transport partially used soaps through its existing truck routes and 10 North American distribution centers. In addition to logistical assistance, Guest Supply also manufactures new bars of soap for Clean the World from surplus off its assembly lines. Guest Supply customers can receive a 15 percent discount on their program participation fee with Clean the World.
This article first appeared on the Green Lodging News website. To sign up to receive the weekly Green Lodging News newsletter, go to www.greenlodgingnews.com. Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.