Youth for Soap

What Youth for Soap does

Youth for Soap is a Geneva-based non-profit association founded as an apprentice-led idea in November 2015 and formally incorporated in January 2020, recognized as being of public utility by the Canton of Geneva since 2020. The association collects used solid and liquid hygiene products from partner hotels in the Geneva region and processes them through a recycling workflow consisting of peeling, grinding, heating, extrusion, cutting, and drying, with quality protocols developed in collaboration with HEIA Fribourg and regular bacteriological controls performed by the Ecobion private laboratory.

The operating model layers four stakeholder groups: commercial apprentices from Espace Entreprise (approximately 2,400 apprentices across four Geneva commercial schools) who manage communications, logistics, finances, and sales; approximately 20 workers with intellectual disabilities at Fondation Ensemble workshops (located at 80B route de Chêne and Tourbillon, Plan-les-Ouates) who perform the physical recycling; electric cargo bike logistics handled by Caddie Service; and free distribution to approximately 10 Geneva-based humanitarian associations (La Virgule, le Caré, Point-d'Eau, La Farce, Foyer Arabelle, Armée du Salut, CSF, Carrefour Rue, Kits Hygiène, and others) serving homeless and precarious populations. Hotel partners include luxury establishments such as Beau-Rivage, Four Seasons Hotel Geneva, InterContinental Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Geneva, and Manotel Group.

The association does not engage in commercial product sales; all recycled hygiene products are distributed free of charge. Revenue is sourced from individual donations, crowdfunding campaigns, private foundations, occasional event and market sales by apprentices, and corporate contributions (notably unsold soap products from Lush). The association received the Fondation pour Genève Award in October 2018 (5,000 CHF) and the Prix Cantonal du Développement Durable from the Canton of Geneva on September 18, 2023.

Name

Youth for Soap

Legal name

Youth for Soap

Website

https://youthforsoap.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Youth for Soap is a Geneva-based non-profit association that recycles used solid and liquid hotel hygiene products through commercial apprentices and intellectually disabled workers, distributing the output free of charge to humanitarian associations serving homeless populations in the Geneva region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and fundraising: The association regularly conducts fundraising to finance materials needed for recycling and distribution. They organize crowdfunding campaigns, solicit private foundations, and receive donations from individuals and companies like Lush (unsold products).
2. Soap sales at events: Apprentices organize soap sales during events and soon at markets to generate revenue for the association's operations.
3. Recognition of public utility: The association is recognized as being of public utility by the Canton of Geneva since 2020, which may enable access to certain funding sources and grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Youth for Soap is a non-profit association that recycles used solid and liquid hygiene products collected from partner hotels in Geneva. The used soaps are processed through peeling, grinding, heating, extrusion, cutting, drying, and logo application at two Fondation Ensemble workshops staffed by people with intellectual disabilities. The recycled hygiene products are then distributed free of charge to Geneva-based humanitarian associations serving homeless and disadvantaged individuals, with occasional surplus shipments to humanitarian associations abroad.

Product overview

Youth for Soap is a non-profit association that operates a single unified soap recycling service. The organization collects used solid and liquid hygiene products from partner hotels in Geneva, processes them through a recycling operation managed by people with intellectual disabilities at Foundation Ensemble workshops, and distributes the resulting products free of charge to humanitarian associations serving homeless and disadvantaged individuals. Since late 2021, the service expanded to include shower gel, shampoo, and body lotion recovery in addition to the core recycled soap program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recycled Solid Soap Recycled solid soaps collected from partner hotels, processed through peeling, grinding, heating, extrusion, cutting, drying, and logo application, and redistributed free of charge to Geneva humanitarian associations serving homeless and precarious populations.
• Recycled Liquid Hygiene Products Recovered liquid hygiene products including shower gel, shampoo, and body lotion collected from partner hotels and redistributed free of charge to Geneva humanitarian associations since late 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple tonnes of soap diverted from waste annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Espace EntreprisecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020As a professional commercial training center attached to the Department of Public Instruction of the Canton of Geneva (DIP), Espace Entreprise provides approximately 2,400 apprentices annually. The apprentices manage Youth for Soap project operations including project management, logistics, communication, and administration. This is the founding organization that conceived and manages the Youth for Soap initiative.
• Fondation EnsemblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in Geneva in 1986, Fondation Ensemble provides care for people with intellectual disabilities. The soap extruder machine is located in their facilities. A team of beneficiaries regularly works on cleaning and recycling soaps, acquiring useful skills for daily life. Two workshops at 80B route de Chêne and Tourbillon (Plan les Ouates) handle the recycling operations.
• HEIA Fribourg (Haute école d'ingénierie et d'architecture de Fribourg)coreTechnology or IntegrationFounded in 1896, HEIA Fribourg is a leading engineering and architecture school. Chemistry students developed the soap manufacturing protocol and regularly collaborate on the project to ensure high-quality standards are met throughout production.
• Caddie ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA recognized public utility insertion association founded in May 2007 through public-private partnership. Caddie Service provides electric cargo bike delivery services with trailers for purchases from small and large businesses. They handle the transportation of collected soaps from hotels to recycling workshops and distribution to humanitarian associations.
• EcobioncoreTechnology or IntegrationA private laboratory that performs regular bacteriological controls on the recycled soaps to ensure they meet hygiene and safety standards.
• Hotel Partners (Beau-Rivage, Four Seasons, InterContinental, Mandarin Oriental, Manotel Group, etc.)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple luxury and boutique hotels in Geneva that donate their used solid and liquid soaps for recycling. Includes Beau-Rivage, Four Seasons, InterContinental, Mandarin Oriental, Manotel Group, Hilton, Hôtel des Paquis, Hôtel Richemond, Fairmont, Ritz-Carlton, Warwick Geneva, and others.
• Humanitarian Association Beneficiaries (La Virgule, le Caré, Foyer Arabelle, etc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproximately 10 Geneva-based humanitarian associations that receive free recycled hygiene products for distribution to homeless and precarious individuals. Includes La Virgule, le Caré, Foyer Arabelle, Point-d'Eau, La Farce, Armée du Salut, Carrefour Rue, CSF, and others.
• LushminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCosmetics company that donates unsold soap products to Youth for Soap for recycling and distribution to those in need.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/YouthForSoap
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-for-soap
• Instagraminstagram.com/youthforsoap
• TikToktiktok.com/@youthforsoap

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth for Soap