Las Vegas Sands Donates $515,000 to The WASH Foundation for Water and Hygiene Initiatives – PR Newswire

Las Vegas Sands Donates $515,000 to The WASH Foundation for Water and Hygiene Initiatives – PR Newswire

Las Vegas Sands Advances Sustainable Development Goals Through Partnership with The WASH Foundation

Introduction

On June 26, 2025, Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) announced a $515,000 contribution to The WASH Foundation, increasing its total donations to over $6.1 million since 2014. This funding supports critical initiatives aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, by enhancing access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for vulnerable populations worldwide.

Overview of The WASH Foundation and Partnership

  • Mission: The WASH Foundation focuses on providing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene to the 4.2 billion people lacking these essentials.
  • Partnership History: Since 2014, Sands has supported The WASH Foundation’s programs, including the Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build and innovative water stewardship projects.
  • Impact: The partnership has led to milestones such as the transformation of a Las Vegas recycling center into a soap manufacturing facility and the launch of mobile shower units for people experiencing homelessness.

2025 Sands Cares Investment Priorities

The 2025 funding supports three key areas, each contributing to the achievement of multiple SDGs, including SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action):

  1. Global Hygiene Kit Build

    Sands Team Members in Macao, Singapore, and Las Vegas will assemble 70,000 hygiene kits for distribution to individuals facing hardships and crises. Since 2014, over 1,034,000 kits have been produced, directly supporting health and hygiene in vulnerable communities.

  2. The Drop by Drop Project

    This initiative provides grants to local nonprofits in Macao and Singapore to promote water stewardship. The project enhances water resiliency, ecosystem restoration, and community engagement, aligning with SDG 6 and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

  3. Capacity-Building Support

    Funding is allocated to expand The WASH Foundation’s hygiene education programs in schools and communities worldwide, as well as disaster relief efforts, advancing SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 3.

Environmental and Social Impact

  • Since 2011, Sands and its partners have diverted over 663,000 pounds of waste from landfills by recycling discarded hygiene amenities.
  • They have distributed 4.7 million bars of soap to people in need, improving health outcomes and reducing disease transmission.
  • The Fresh Start WASH & Wellness Program operates six mobile shower units across Southern Nevada, California, and Central Florida, supporting over 91,000 showers for homeless populations.

Corporate Responsibility and SDG Alignment

Las Vegas Sands integrates its partnership with The WASH Foundation into its broader corporate responsibility platform focused on People, Communities, and Planet. This collaboration exemplifies commitment to the following SDGs:

  • SDG 3: Improving health and well-being through hygiene and sanitation initiatives.
  • SDG 6: Ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation.
  • SDG 11: Supporting sustainable communities by addressing homelessness and crisis situations.
  • SDG 12: Promoting responsible consumption and waste reduction through recycling programs.
  • SDG 13: Engaging in water stewardship projects that contribute to climate resilience.

About Las Vegas Sands

Las Vegas Sands is a leading global developer and operator of integrated resorts, with properties including Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and multiple resorts in Macao SAR, China. The company emphasizes sustainable economic development, job creation, and community investment, reinforcing its commitment to ESG principles and inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices.

About The WASH Foundation

The WASH Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming lives by improving access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education globally. Since 2009, it has served over 17.4 million people, provided disaster relief supplies to 1.5 million individuals, and distributed more than 91.3 million bars of soap and 7.1 million hygiene kits.

Further Information

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed in the Article

  1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
    • The article focuses extensively on providing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) to underserved populations.
    • The WASH Foundation’s mission and Sands’ contributions directly support access to clean water and sanitation facilities.
  2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
    • Improving health through hygiene education and access to hygiene supplies is a key theme.
    • Programs like Fresh Start WASH & Wellness promote health among homeless populations.
  3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
    • The partnership with Clean the World to recycle discarded hygiene amenities and divert waste from landfills supports sustainable consumption and waste reduction.
  4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
    • The collaboration between Sands, The WASH Foundation, and local nonprofits exemplifies multi-stakeholder partnerships to achieve sustainable development.

2. Specific Targets Under the Identified SDGs

  1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
    • Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
    • Target 6.2: Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, paying special attention to vulnerable groups.
    • Target 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
  2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
    • Target 3.3: End epidemics of communicable diseases by improving hygiene and sanitation.
    • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective medicines and vaccines.
  3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
    • Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
  4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
    • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article to Measure Progress

  1. SDG 6 Indicators
    • Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services (implied by efforts to provide safe water access).
    • Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services, including a hand-washing facility with soap and water (implied by hygiene kit distribution and hygiene education programs).
    • Number of local water stewardship projects supported (Drop by Drop Project grants).
  2. SDG 3 Indicators
    • Number of people reached with hygiene education and hygiene kits (e.g., 1,034,000 hygiene kits produced since 2014, 91,000 showers provided).
    • Reduction in communicable diseases linked to improved hygiene (implied health improvements through WASH programs).
  3. SDG 12 Indicators
    • Amount of waste diverted from landfills (663,000 pounds of waste diverted through recycling initiatives).
    • Number of bars of soap recycled and distributed (4.7 million bars of soap distributed).
  4. SDG 17 Indicators
    • Number and scale of partnerships formed (Sands, The WASH Foundation, Clean the World, and local nonprofits collaborating).
    • Volunteer engagement levels (Sands Team Members’ participation in hygiene kit builds and other initiatives).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Targets Indicators
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
  • 6.1: Universal access to safe drinking water
  • 6.2: Access to sanitation and hygiene
  • 6.b: Community participation in water management
  • Proportion using safely managed drinking water services
  • Proportion using safely managed sanitation and hand-washing facilities
  • Number of local water stewardship projects funded
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
  • 3.3: End communicable diseases
  • 3.8: Universal health coverage
  • Number of people reached with hygiene kits and education
  • Reduction in disease incidence related to hygiene improvements (implied)
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
  • 12.5: Reduce waste generation through recycling and reuse
  • Pounds of waste diverted from landfills
  • Number of soap bars recycled and distributed
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
  • 17.17: Promote effective partnerships
  • Number and scale of partnerships formed
  • Volunteer engagement and participation rates

Source: prnewswire.com