As we recognize Earth Day with celebrations around the globe, let’s pause to realize something quite powerful. By participating in the Clean the World hospitality program, our nearly 900 hotels and bed-and-breakfast partners throughout North America have helped divert in excess of 550 tons of hotel waste from polluting local landfills.

Think about that for a moment. Without your participation in Clean the World, more than 1.1 million pounds of soap and bottled amenities would be trashed. That’s a lot of garbage and, in the truest sense of the term, a great waste of valuable resources.

By teaming with Clean the World, you’ve helped turn trash into treasure, providing soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions and gels for people in need. And you’ve improved sanitation conditions for communities everywhere.

Enjoy Earth Day. You have reason to celebrate because you’re helping Clean the World.

As Japanese residents continue to deal with the aftermath of multiple earthquakes, a tsunami and damage to a nuclear reactor, Clean the World has partnered on an effort to provide relief.

Clean the World is collaborating with Ohio-based Matthew 25: Ministries to provide soaps, shampoos, lotions, conditioners, body wash and bottled water to help comfort the suffering in Japan as well as other disaster relief or humanitarian aid locations.

Matthew 25: Ministries has already shipped 44,000 pounds of desperately needed disaster relief to the devastated area and is preparing additional disaster relief supplies for Japan, including food from Matthew 25’s Food Processing Center, blankets, cleaning supplies and first aid supplies, along with personal care products and hygiene kits.

A truck filled with relief supplies left Clean the World headquarters in Orlando on April 18 on its way to Matthew 25: Ministries headquarters in Blue Ash, Ohio, a Cincinnati suburb. The supplies will be received by Matthew 25: Ministries and prepared for shipment to the victims of Japan’s multiple disasters and other disasters worldwide.

These are the specific items en route to Japan:

Medical Supplies – 2 pallets

Water – 5 pallets/ 6,400 bottles

Soap – 2 pallets/ 7,000 bars

Shampoo – 4 pallets/ 32,400 bottles

Lotion – 1 pallet/ 8,100 bottles

Conditioner – 3 pallets/ 27,000 bottles

Body Wash – 1 pallet/ 6,550 bottles

Many of the donated items may be packaged in hygiene kits distributed by Matthew 25: Ministries. Based on requests from partners on the ground in the disaster area, kits will be packaged onto pallets and included along with other relief items, and flown or sent via cargo ship to the hardest-hit areas of Japan.

Thanks to all involved for helping with this relief effort. Your financial contributions are also welcome to help address the ongoing suffering in Japan. Please give generously and keep the Japanese people in your thoughts and prayers.