Frequently Asked Questions - Europe
Have a question about Clean the World or our programs? Please check out our FAQ’s below. Here, you can find answers about how we recycle soap and our Hospitality Soap Recycling Program. You can also email us at europe@cleantheworld.org for additional questions. Thank you!
About Clean the World
Clean the World, an affiliate of Clean the World Global, is a global leader in sustainable environmental and social impact solutions, transforming used soap bars and plastic amenities that the hospitality industry would otherwise discard into life-saving, essential supplies for communities in need across the globe. With every bar of soap and plastic amenity recycled, Clean the World helps reduce the impact of pollution on our planet and improves the lives of women, children, and communities globally by donating new soap bars to global NGOs, such as The WASH Foundation.
Clean the World accomplishes its mission by collecting and recycling discarded soap and plastic bottled amenities from participating hospitality partners. By distributing these and other donated hygiene products to impoverished people, Clean the World helps prevent millions of hygiene-related illnesses and deaths every year.
Hand washing with soap significantly reduces the impact of acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease, the two top killers of children under five years old. To help save those lives, Clean the World uses recycled soap as the primary ingredient in its global hygiene revolution.
Clean the World partners with hospitality properties around the world to recycle their discarded soap and plastic bottled amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body wash. All soap is recycled into new bars, and all bottles are recycled into flake with the goal of being used in circular products. Participating hospitality properties collect these hygiene products at their properties using Clean the World’s collection boxes. Once these boxes are full, hotels ship them back to a Clean the World facility, where they are processed for recycling.
About the Global Hospitality Recycling Program
Welcome to the Clean the World family! You will soon receive a Welcome Email containing helpful instructions and materials on how to train your team. If you have any questions, simply email europe@cleantheworld.org, and we will be happy to assist.
No, participating hotels must request new or replacement boxes from Clean the World. To request boxes, please log in with your username and password to the Customer Portal (ctwportal.cleantheworld.org) and click or tap the “Order Boxes” button through the Box Dashboard. Here, you can return and order boxes. If you need login credentials, please contact us at europe@cleanthenworld.org.
When you place your initial order, the number of boxes that Clean the World will ship to the hotel property is based on room count and past participation history, not on the number of floors. If you believe this total needs to be corrected, please email europe@cleantheworld.org to update your box allocation.
Clean the World Europe only accepts designated boxes provided by Clean the World containing soap or bottles. Simply contact europe@cleantheworld.org, and we will email you an extra shipping return label.
To ensure Clean the World reports accurate impact totals, please keep your soap and bottles in separate containers. To request collection boxes, please log in to the Customer Portal (ctwportal.cleantheworld.org), click or tap on the “Boxes” button on the dashboard on the left-hand side, and then click “Order Boxes.” If you need login credentials, please request them at europe@cleantheworld.org.
Yes. Clean the World accepts all bathroom plastic bottled amenities from hotel rooms, including shampoo, lotion, conditioner, and body wash.
The more the merrier! When your boxes are 100% full, it’s time to ship. To request a shipping return label, please access the Customer Portal (ctwportal.cleantheworld.org), click “Boxes” button, and print your label through the Box Dashboard.
Please note: For cardboard boxes, we require three full boxes before you schedule to resend your boxes. You will need a new label for each shipment.
If your property does not have a regular pickup, please schedule a pickup from the Boxes screen on the Customer Portal (ctwportal.cleantheworld.org). Click the green “Schedule a Pickup” button to open the scheduling page. Once on the scheduling page, you will include your current phone number, the day you would like to schedule a pickup, pickup directions, and any relevant notes. Once completed, click the green “Confirm” button to process your request. If you need support to schedule a pickup, please contact the Clean the World Europe team at europe@cleantheworld.org.
You can receive your impact totals right from your Customer Portal! On the Impact Screen, you can get real-time feedback on how much soap you have collected, how many kilograms of waste you’ve collected, how many bars of soap you have distributed, and historical totals.
First, please make sure your box is taped securely. We suggest you use two layers and tape all the way down the sides. Then, attach your shipping label on the top of the box with packing tape.
Clean the World’s multi-step soap recycling and manufacturing process includes rigorous testing by the Biological Consulting Services Laboratory, a fully accredited third-party laboratory. This 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.
- 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 sanitised soap bars.
- A third-party laboratory tests the new soap bars to ensure their cleanliness.
- The new soap bars are distributed through NGOs, like The WASH Foundation.
The soap is sanitised, ground, and cut into new bars at a Clean the World facility. The bars are then boxed for distribution.
The soap is sanitised, ground, and cut into new bars at a Clean the World facility. The bars are then boxed for distribution.
Clean the World’s Europe’s soap is inspected by a certified third-party laboratory to comply with European cosmetics laws and regulations.
Clean the World soap bars are crafted from recycled soap and boast a consistent shape and texture. Each bar proudly bears the Clean the World logo, signifying its commitment to sustainability. However, variations in colour and scent may arise, depending on the specific recycled soap utilised. This blend of uniformity and uniqueness makes Clean the World’s soap bars both environmentally conscious and delightful to the senses.
For recycling plastic bottled amenities, the plastic is processed into flakes, which can then be used in circular products.
- Plastic amenities are collected from our Global Hospitality Recycling Program partners’ locations.
- The various bottles are then emptied, shredded, and processed into flake.
- The plastic flakes can then be used to produce circular products.
Our plastic recycling takes place in The Netherlands and is not currently open to visitors; however, you are welcome to visit our Amsterdam headquarters. If you are interested, please email europe@cleantheworld.org for more information.
We recycle plastic hotel amenity bottles (e.g., shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body wash bottles). These bottles comprise of HDPE, LDPE, PET, and PP.
Clean the World does not currently accept individual donations. However, you can contact your city’s local recycling service providers to properly recycle your plastic.
The way you access the Customer Portal is still the same. You can visit the refreshed portal at ctwportal.cleantheworld.org to explore the new features.
No, your login credentials will remain the same.
To reset your password, visit ctwportal.cleantheworld.org, click “Forgot Password,” and follow the prompts. If you’re still having trouble, please contact europe@cleantheworld.org for assistance.
The updated Customer Portal is now live, and we are excited for you to experience all the new features. For the most up-to-date information on the portal, come back here or check your email for any messages from Clean the World.
No, we will fulfill all existing orders.
About Orders and Collection Boxes
You will still receive the shipping labels via email. If you need more labels or have any questions, please contact europe@cleantheworld.org.
We add the liner inside our cardboard and large boxes for the safety of everyone involved in the collecting, shipping, and recycling process. The liner prevents the liquid from bottles or soap bars from leaking onto the floor, which would create an unsafe workplace.
You will be able to order two big boxes at once.
If you order more than two big boxes or more than one large box to be collected at once, please proceed with repeating the order according to the number of boxes you would like to receive.
You can find the assembly guide for Big Boxes here.
About the Customer Portal
Clean the World’s Customer Portal offers a unique opportunity for you to engage in socially responsible programs that deliver direct impact, including soap distribution, hygiene education, emergency response, hygiene packaging events, and waste diversion. In just a few simple steps, your team can access impact reports, order replacement boxes, print shipping labels, learn about Clean the World’s exciting programs, and manage users. For more information, please visit ctwportal.cleantheworld.org.
You can access the Customer Portal by visiting ctwportal.cleantheworld.org from any desktop or mobile phone and logging in with your account email address and password. To receive login credentials, please request them at ctwportal.cleantheworld.org.
You can request a new password from the login screen ctwportal.cleantheworld.org
Please check your junk folder if you do not receive an email within five minutes.
Your username is the email address provided to us during set-up. Typically, this is your general mailbox for your property (property@hotelbrand.com). For more information or to change the address associated with the portal, please email europe@cleantheworld.org.
The Customer Portal makes it easy to add members of your team and assign different levels based on your needs. Tap on the Users Screen and navigate to the green “Add User” icon (upper right-hand corner). Then, please fill out the information about your team member, assign their status, and send them an invitation to register. You may also edit users or update information as needed.
There are three types of users:
- Admins have full access to all portal features, including creating new Users and Admins and editing existing users. Please only assign admin rights to managers. It is possible to have multiple admins per property and assign multiple properties to each user.
- Users are day-to-day employees who only use the portal to manage the collection process. They do not have access to user management and cannot alter specific fields in their Profile screen.
- Inactive Users are employees who no longer work at your property and have had their portal access disabled.
If you experience an issue updating information or need to remove/change a user’s status at any time, please email us at europe@cleantheworld.org, and our team can assist you.
An email will be sent to your team member with instructions on accessing the portal. You can check on their status from your User menu.
There are four statuses available (these are colour-coded for your convenience):
- No Invite Sent (bright red) – The user has not received an invite from you. Click or tap on the person’s name and the orange “Send Invite” button at the top right of the edit user screen.
- Pending – Invite Sent (orange) – The user has received an invite but has not registered for portal access.
- Active (green) – The user is active and using the portal.
- Inactive (dark red) – This user no longer has access to the portal or no longer works at your property.
Please note: After editing and updating the user status, please refresh your screen. If the user does not receive the registration email, please ask them to check their junk folder. The Clean the World team is here to assist you if you have any issues inviting or updating users. Please email our team at europe@cleantheworld.org with questions.
From any screen on the portal, select a different property by tapping on the pencil icon in the upper right-hand corner of the portal. This will provide you with a drop-down menu to choose a new property. If you need to add properties to the menu, please email europe@cleantheworld.org.
The Clean the World portal provides real-time updates on your Impact screen. Once Clean the World receives your full box, our team will scan it and upload the impact totals to the portal. If you do not see the impact information or believe the information needs to be corrected, please log out and log back in. If you are still experiencing issues, please email europe@cleantheworld.org for assistance.
We are sorry for your inconvenience. Please reach out to us on email at europe@cleantheworld.org, and we will schedule a new collection.
We are sorry for the inconvenience. Please email europe@cleantheworld.org, and our dedicated team will help you with ordering bins or creating shipping labels.
We are sorry you are experiencing difficulties. Please email europe@cleantheworld.org. We are happy to help!
Of course! Our client team can help with this request. Please email us at europe@cleantheworld.org, and we will email you a label as soon as possible!
Your account may need attention. Please email europe@cleantheworld.org for more information.
Please visit cleantheworld.org/portal-icon for instructions on adding an app icon to your iPhone or Android device.
You will automatically be upgraded to this new reporting! Please log out and log back into your account to activate the new features.
Please log out and log back into your Customer Portal account. If you are experiencing issues, email europe@cleantheworld.org for assistance.
You can filter your impact by date and, depending on your access level, by individual hotel, brand, flag, and management company.
Click the green drop-down menu on the upper right-hand side. If you are on a mobile device, this drop-down menu is directly above the “SOAP” quadrant. You can choose between historical, this year, last year, this month, last month, this quarter, last quarter, or a customer date range.
Click between the grey boxes at the top of the page, above the six different quadrants. The orange box is the impact you are currently viewing.
Your historical impact data is representative of all soap and/or plastic bottled amenities collected from the day you started Clean the World’s Hospitality Recycling Program until the present day.
This could be due to more than one reason. If your hotel only collects plastic amenity bottles (i.e., no bar soap), you will show a “0” on most of the impact indicators. With new plastic recycling operations in place, we are in the process of re-calculating our impact to include plastic. Currently, most of the impact is calculated based on the collection and recycling of bar soap. The other reason could be that we have yet to receive a shipment of soap or bottles from your hotel. If you think this is incorrect, please contact europe@cleantheworld.org for assistance.
Yes, you can now export your impact from the Impact Dashboard. Simply click on the “Share” icon, and you will see the “Download Report” option.
Those colourful icons represent the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and correlate with the impact inside of each section. Click on them to learn more!
About Impact Reporting
Clean the World partners with hotel properties around the world to recycle their discarded soap and bottled amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body wash. All soap is recycled into new bars, and all plastic bottled amenities are processed into plastic flake, which can then be used to produce circular products.
Participating hotels collect these hygiene products at their properties using Clean the World boxes. Once boxes are full, hotels ship them back to a Clean the World facility.
Our dedicated operations team weighs all inbound shipments of soap and bottles. The shipping label is connected to your hotel’s account, and when scanned, those weights are added to your profile.
The Clean the World portal provides real-time updates on your Impact screen. As soon as Clean the World receives your full box, our team will scan it and upload the impact totals to the portal. If you are not seeing impact information or believe the information is incorrect, please email europe@cleantheworld.org.
Clean the World partnered with Greenview to enhance the proprietary reporting that we provide to our hotel partners. The basis behind each impact metric is the volume of soap or bottles collected. To identify, measure, and analyse the environmental impacts of the entire life cycle of the soap recycling process, which covers energy, water, carbon, waste, and materials footprint, Clean the World adopted the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The LCA is a tool widely used to analyse the impacts of an object/operation/service across its value chain, i.e., from raw material extraction and production to disposal. Upon completion of this LCA, coefficients and conversion factors were provided to calculate the individual impact metrics.
To learn more about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, please visit https://sdgs.un.org/goals.
About Clean the World’s Impact
The WASH Foundation is a nonprofit organization within the Clean the World enterprise dedicated to ensuring universal and sustainable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for all. The WASH Foundation is a recognized global leader with a presence on the UN Global WASH Cluster, World Health Organization, World Economic Forum, and more.
Seven Programs of The WASH Foundation:
- WASH Infrastructure and Education
- Menstrual Health
- Women’s Microfinance
- Humanitarian/Emergency Relief*
- Mobile Showers*
- WASH Stations
- Water Stewardship Grants
- Programs that use Clean the World soap or hygiene kits
About the Global Hospitality Recycling Program Implementation
Clean the World provides implementation information for your housekeeping team, highlighting how simple our process is for hotel operations. In short, Clean the World provides boxes for housekeepers to collect plastic amenities and soap and empty them into separate boxes in the backroom areas during their daily routine rounds. Once these boxes are full, the housekeeping lead logs onto our dashboard and clicks “Boxes” on the side menu. When you click “Order Boxes,” you will be directed to the box order screen. Select the type of box you require between Cardboard Boxes and/or Big Boxes and the number of boxes.
All metrics are tracked through our impact reporting system. When a box of discarded soap and plastic bottled amenities arrives at our Clean the World facility, the boxes are weighed, and the data points are added internally to your hotel’s impact report. To access this, a member of your hotel team can log onto the dashboard to see the updated impact data. You can download these data points in various ways, including simple CSV and Excel files to more visual aids, which can be a great marketing asset. When a hotel signs up to our programme, we welcome the conversation to deliver marketing case studies throughout the partnership. Please email europe@cleantheworld.org to get in touch with our marketing team on how to showcase your hotel’s impact, gather Clean the World marketing assets, and answer any marketing-related query.
This is dependent on the region; however, several of our partners pay for waste disposal on a weight basis, so our programme of collecting discarded soap and plastic bottled amenities, which are naturally quite heavy, will reduce the cost of our hotels’ waste disposal monthly. This can be beneficial in reducing costs to cover Clean the World’s programme, plus the added bonuses of ESG (Environmental, Sustainability, and Governance) impact reporting data, certification of processes, marketing assets, and sustainable practise exposure that can help a hotel.
Once the contracts are signed and payment is received, we can send implementation information straight away and send collection devices within two weeks.
If you have any further questions, please contact the team at europe@cleantheworld.org
About Hygiene Kit Builds
We use Clean the World soap when we can. When needed, we work with other vendors to supply sustainable solutions to supplement our soap needs for kits.
About Sustainability
The SDGs, agreed by 193 countries in 2015 at the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Summit in New York, are a set of 17 interconnected goals that seek to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. The 17 SDGs are integrated—that is, they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the first increase in global poverty in 20 years and risks pushing tens of millions back into poverty, so now, more than ever, the well-being of others is of great importance to building a sustainable future. Growing inequality is detrimental to economic growth and undermines social cohesion, increasing political and social tensions and, in some circumstances, driving instability and conflicts.
If your hotel is in Europe, please visit FAQ Europe.
