UAE – In a significant step forward in its sustainability journey, Shangri-La Hotels has partnered UNISOAP UAE, a campaign powered by Goumbook, to recycle soaps in its flagship properties in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Goumbook is the leading social enterprise promoting sustainable living and fostering sustainable practices in the hospitality industry across the GCC.

Every year, hotels in the UAE discard approximately 16 million bars of soap, which can significantly impact landfill waste and environmental degradation. The UNISOAP UAE campaign aims to collect these used soaps, recycle them hygienically, and redistribute the new bars to vulnerable communities, thereby promoting hygiene where it is most needed.

"UNISOAP UAE is proud to expand its reach in a nation rapidly embracing sustainable solutions in every sector, including hospitality," said Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Founder and Managing Director of Goumbook. "Our partnership with Shangri-La Hotels represents a significant stride in environmental conservation, climate action, and global hygiene awareness."

Shangri-La's involvement in the soap recycling project is a key component of its overarching Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy, encapsulated by the "Triple S" framework: Stay, Savour, and Shine. This strategy reflects the group's commitment to integrating sustainability into the core of its business operations and enhancing stakeholder engagement.

Nicholas Smith, VP of F&B at Shangri-La and an active ESG member for the group for the MEIA region, stated: "At Shangri-La, our mission is to be the best-loved hospitality group, hosting people to the colorful joys of life in a sustainable manner. This commitment empowers our people, uplifts local communities, nurtures the planet, and celebrates Asian heritage. We have taken significant strides towards this goal. Noteworthy efforts include the 'Friendship City' initiative in Turkey, which provided 300 furnished container homes for earthquake survivors in Hatay. Our collaboration with Make-A-Wish International has raised over $30K contributions on top of granting more than 25 wishes to children with critical illnesses. Additionally, our teams in Mauritius and Abu Dhabi actively contribute to environmental conservation through beach clean-ups, collecting close to a ton of bags of garbage each time, with Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri participating in a project to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030 supporting the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy, which seeks to speed up the preservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems.

The partnership between Shangri-La Hotels and UNISOAP UAE marks a transformative move towards environmental stewardship and community support within the hospitality industry. By recycling discarded soaps and repurposing them for those in need, this initiative not only addresses the significant waste management challenges but also enhances hygiene access for vulnerable populations.

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About Shangri-La:

Shangri-La, an iconic flagship brand of the Shangri-La Group, puts heartfelt service at the core of its distinctive Asian hospitality experience. Through imaginative and nature-inspired design, delightful culinary and cultural experiences, and its authentic and thoughtful service, the brand enables guests to realise their own moments of Shangri-La. 

Today, the brand experience is brought to life in over 90 deluxe hotels and resorts at destinations around the world, including Australia, Canada, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sultanate of Oman, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.  

About Shangri-La Circle  

Built on the idea that life is meant to be fun, limitless, and full of possibilities, Shangri-La Circle is a contemporary Asian travel lifestyle platform offering members a world of enhanced benefits at every point of their journey at over 100 Shangri-La, Kerry, JEN by Shangri-La, and Traders properties worldwide, along with the Group’s portfolio of restaurants, wellness facilities, and family experiences. Details of these benefits can be found here.

To enroll as a member and stay up to date with the latest Shangri-La Circle announcements and offers, visit www.shangri-la.com/shangrilacircle and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Weibo, and WeChat, or download the Shangri-La mobile app. 

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