What started with two Brampton high school students questioning why barely used hotel soap was being thrown away has grown into a youth-led initiative addressing waste and hygiene insecurity across the GTA. Founded in July 2026 by Humdaan Waheed and Pratim Singh, Relavco collects partially used soap from hotels, sanitizes and remoulds it into new bars, and distributes them free of charge to shelters and outreach organizations. In its first three months, the initiative donated 1,400 bars to organizations including Regeneration Outreach Community, Youth Without Shelter and Council Fire Native Cultural Centre, while also beginning work on a documentary exploring homelessness, hygiene and Lake Ontario pollution. For our latest Charitable Choices feature, we spoke with co-founders Humdaan Waheed and Pratim Singh about how Relavco got started, the connection between waste and access to basic hygiene, and their plans to expand the initiative.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
Relavco is a youth-led initiative that rescues partially used soap from hotels before it’s thrown out. We sanitize it, remould it into fresh bars, and donate every bar free of charge to shelters and outreach organizations across the GTA.
What problem does it aim to solve?
Hotels throw away huge amounts of barely used soap, while people experiencing homelessness struggle to access basic hygiene. We tackle both problems at once by keeping soap out of landfills and getting it to the people who need it most.
When did you start/join it?
We launched Relavco in July 2026.
What made you want to get involved?
We learned that hotels discard soap after a single use, while shelters close to home often run short on hygiene supplies. It made no sense to us that something so useful was going to waste so close to people who needed it.
What was the situation like when you started?
We started with no hotel partners, no shelter connections, and a lot of trial and error figuring out how to clean and remould soap safely. Everything we knew, we taught ourselves.
How has it changed since?
In just three months, we’ve donated 1,400 bars to Regeneration Outreach Community in Brampton, Youth Without Shelter in Etobicoke, and Council Fire Native Cultural Centre in Toronto. We’re now also producing a documentary on homelessness, hygiene, and Lake Ontario pollution, featuring experts from York University, UHN, the University of Toronto, and Environmental Defence.
What more needs to be done?
We need more hotels on board so less soap ends up in landfills, and more shelters on our list so it reaches more people. The bigger goal is reliable hygiene access for everyone experiencing homelessness in the GTA.
How can our readers help?
Hotel owners and managers can partner with us to donate used soap instead of throwing it out. Shelters and outreach groups can contact us at [email protected] to receive free bars, and anyone can help by sharing our work.
Do you have any events coming up?
We’re filming our documentary through December 18, 2026, with screenings across the Peel District School Board to follow.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
Youth Without Shelter in Etobicoke gives young people facing homelessness a safe place to stay and the support to get back on their feet. As teens ourselves, we love that they make sure no young person has to face that alone.
