When a resort undergoes a major refurbishment, rooms must be cleared to make way for renovation crews to work. But what happens to 200 bedding sets and 450 mattresses? Or 250 sofas and chairs?

The answer is recycling, reuse and philanthropy – there’s always a need somewhere.

For example, the laminated flooring that was removed during a room refurbishment at uMhlanga Sands Resort was re-used to provide flooring at the Jump Youth Mission House, a local charity which cares for young families and children with life controlling addictions. Rather than heading for a dumpster, this donation is now playing a part in turning around once troubled lives for the better.

The bedroom doors from the same room refurbishment were donated to ‘Together for Durban’ who recycled them into school desks and tables for self-sustainable business in the local community. The donation of the hairdryers raised much needed funds for the local church’s business development outreach programme.

Another recycling initiative realised through refurbishment is the idea to convert discarded bed sheets into school shirts for the children in a local disadvantaged community. The project began when uMhlanga Sands Resort was looking for local solutions to recycle the large volume of bed sheets that are frequently replaced. The Resort partnered with a local clothing manufacturer who produces the school shirts. For now, it’s an in-house social responsibility programme, but the end goal is to eventually create a self-sufficient project from which members of the disadvantaged community can start their own small business.