Dive Brief:
- Clean the World is a non-profit based in Orlando, FL that collects used soap from hotels and recycles it for distribution to developing nations. The soap is shredded, residual bacteria removed and then pressed into new bars.
- Soap that would otherwise be tossed into landfills, is making its way around the globe, where it is used to prevent the spread of infectious disease, and save lives.
- Clean the World announced it is partnering with Global Soap, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, in an effort to increase production, distribution and education about hygiene. Combined, the two groups collect soap from over 4,000 hotels and transport 25 million bars to almost 100 countries.
Dive Insight:
What began in a residential garage as a business that operated with help from family and friends, has grown into a company with industrial recycling facilities in Las Vegas, Orlando, FL and Hong Kong.
The non-profit was founded when Shawn Seipler, Clean the World’s CEO, was on a business trip. He called down to the front desk and asked what the hotel did with the bars of soap used by guests. He was told the bars were thrown out with the trash. He further discovered that millions of bars are thrown out daily, while people in some countries were dying from illnesses that were preventable- if only the they had access to simple hygienic products- such as soap.
