Sands China and Clean the World join forces to produce hygiene kits

Clean the World project volunteers

Sands China and Clean the World have joined forces to produce 20,000 hygiene kits, which will be donated to local institutions as well as other charities in the Southeast Asia region.
“One Project Day” kicked off last Friday at the Venetian Macao, as several volunteers from local associations and Sands China staff gathered to produce 20,000 hygiene kits, also for donation to populations often affected by natural catastrophes, such as typhoons or earthquakes.
Managing director of Clean the World Asia, Jolene Han, said that the kits were produced from recycled materials from Sands China hotels, such as soap. “All the bottles are recycled and provided by Sands’ five hotels. The soap is also a recycled soap bar that we’ve produced. The idea is not only to recycle these items, but also to give them another purpose, by giving them to the community,” she said.
Clean the World is an American non-profit organization working towards eradicating lower-respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases affecting children in developing countries.
They forged a partnership with Sands China last year to collect used bars of soap from its hotel properties, recycling them and sending the new soap to countries in need.
About 1,000 people, including 800 Sands China team members, signed up to participate in the “One Project Day” and produce 20,000 hygiene kits in two days. Volunteers from Caritas Macau, Fuhong Society of Macau, Macau Red Cross, the Macau Association for the Parents of the Mentally Handicapped, and the Macau Youth Volunteer Association also participated in the two-day event.
The hygiene kit comprised a set of bathroom amenities, including soap recycled through the Clean the World program, bottles containing unused shampoo, body lotion and body wash. Facecloths and toothbrushes were donated by Sands China, in addition to encouraging messages handwritten by Sands China team members included in each kit.
Rodrigo Conception, who works as a supervisor for the MEP facilities department, said the experience of volunteering was exciting, as he gets to make new friends while also helping the local community, or even his fellow countrymen back in the Philippines. “I am used to this type of work as I am a member of the Sands China Care Ambassadors,” he said, adding that he had also worked as a volunteer in the Philippines.
Senior Vice President of Development and Shared Services and director of Sands Cotai Central, Mark McWhinnie, said that Sands has stepped up its efforts “to be a socially responsible company that makes a positive different in the community.” Clean the World’s actions and its partnership with Sands China comes in line with the Sands ECO360 global green initiative, he added.
Jolene Han said that hotels in Macau have been very supportive of Clean the World’s projects, with about 13,000 hotel rooms participating in the recycled soap program. Part of the hygiene kits produced will be donated to an institution in the Philippines.