Clean the World is on a mission to combat global waste by partnering with hospitality partners around the world. According to a report published in Our World in Data, annual plastic production has increased nearly 230-fold since the 1950s to 460 million tons in 2019. While plastic has added value to our daily lives with its convenience and versatility, what does this increase in plastic production mean for our planet? More plastic production means more waste, which impacts our entire planet, from our oceans to our wildlife and ecosystems.
How can we address this growing issue? The hospitality industry is one industry striving to embrace sustainable practices to reduce waste. The industry produces 289,700 tons of waste annually; however, as more hotels and hospitality businesses adopt sustainable practices, the hospitality industry can be a force of good for waste with sustainable solutions such as Clean the World’s Global Hospitality Recycling Program.
How Clean the World’s Global Hospitality Recycling Program Works
Clean the World’s purpose to make the world a better place is brought to life in part through its Global Hospitality Recycling Program, which consists of recycling bars of soap and plastic amenity bottles from over 8,100 hospitality partners globally. Since its establishment in 2009, Clean the World has collected over 27.8 million lbs. (11.7 kgs) of waste, recycled 7.5 million lbs. of plastic amenity bottles, and diverted over 25 million lbs. of waste from landfills. With every piece of soap and plastic recycled, the hospitality industry continues to protect the environment while reducing plastic waste.
Beyond just recycling soap and plastic, Clean the World works together with NGOs, like The WASH Foundation, to support communities vulnerable to hygiene-related illnesses by distributing hygiene materials worldwide. When hospitality partners recycle their soap and plastic with Clean the World, they are actively taking action to limit waste and create a brighter future where everyone has access to essential hygiene materials.
Clean the World’s Soap Recycling Process
To transform hotel soap into lifesaving, recycled soap, Clean the World has created a multi-step soap recycling and manufacturing process that includes rigorous testing by the Biological Consulting Services Laboratory. This fully accredited third-party laboratory tests the newly made bars of soap for all contaminants. First, the used bars of soap are ground into pellets and finely refined to eliminate any foreign particles. Then, they are sterilized, refined again, and manufactured into brand-new bars of soap. Check out our step-by-step process:
Soap bars are collected from our Global Hospitality Recycling Program partners’ locations.
The soap bars are meticulously refined into “noodles” to remove all impurities.
Using a proprietary process, Clean the World creates new and sanitized soap bars.
The new soap bars are tested by a third-party laboratory to be tested for all contaminants.
The new soap bars are distributed worldwide through NGOS, such as The WASH Foundation.
Clean the World’s Plastic Recycling Process
As for Clean the World’s recycling process for plastic amenity bottles, the bottles are processed into flakes that are used to manufacture new products, hence providing a sustainable circular solution to these single-use plastic products. Check out our step-by-step process:
Plastic amenities are collected from our Global Hospitality Recycling Program partners’ locations.
The amenities are carefully sorted by type of plastic and remaining liquid.
The various bottles are then emptied and shredded into “flakes.”
The plastic flakes are used to manufacture new items, such as buckets.
The New Age of the Hospitality Industry and Conscious Consumerism
Recycling is not only about creating impact post-consumption- it’s about limiting the creation of waste in the first place. According to a study of over 11,000 travelers, 90% of travelers look for sustainable travel options. This overall shift in how people shop, travel, and exist in the world has led many in the hospitality industry to shift to more sustainable practices. Thanks to the millions of conscious consumers who mindfully reduce their impact, this rise in conscious consumerism means the hospitality industry has no choice but to embrace sustainable initiatives. This collective effort can considerably positively impact the journey towards a more sustainable hospitality industry and our planet.
Minimizing waste involves a combination of post-consumption action and mitigating behaviors. At Clean the World, we are motivated to support our hospitality partners in creating a proactive and positive impact on the environment to leave it in the same place for generations to come.
If you’re a hotel interested in supporting your ESG goals, please reach out to us at europe@cleantheworld.org, and our team will gladly assist you on your sustainable journey. Together, let’s make the world a better place!
