Have you ever wondered what happens when you leave behind those slightly-used bars of soap in your hotel room? I, for one, have always felt guilty about parting with these toiletries—it just seems so wasteful! But, luckily, there is actually an organization out there who has found a resourceful way to make very good use of these forgotten cleansers.

Clean the World is a charity that recycles shampoos, soaps, conditioners, and lotions – as well as the plastic bottles they come in – from participating hospitality services from all around the globe. The best part is that this isn’t just making a difference in the conditions of our landfills, it’s also helping to save lives!

The idea first came about when the group’s founder, Shawn Seipler, found himself traveling for his e-commerce company, staying in hotels up to several times a week. Like anyone in his situation, he started to wonder what exactly happened when he left behind those complimentary toiletry items.

When he learned of the bad news—that some 2 million bars of soap per day were ending up in landfills, with most of the precious products being wasted—he realized that he had to do something about the problem.

So, the business traveler with the heart of gold educated himself and found that there is a unique process out there that could make these discarded hygiene products useful once again. That’s when he started Clean the World, and began contacting as many hotels as he could for donations.

 

How lack of hygiene products effects the health of the world’s children

Though Seipler’s original mission was to cut down on as much unnecessary trash as possible, he quickly realized that these free soaps could have a lasting effect on those who may scarcely come across the product.

As he mentions in the clip below, on average, about 9,000 children die in the world every day due to easily preventable illnesses, like pneumonia or diarrheal disease. Seipler goes on to say that, by educating these populations and providing them with the right tools, these horrific numbers may go down by “30 to 65-percent.”

These days, he has about 200 employees, as well as legions of volunteers working to ensure that as little soap goes to waste as possible. These caring folks go into impoverished areas that have little to no access to these key hygiene products. From there, the volunteers and workers distribute the recycled soaps to the needy, completely free of cost.

To learn even more about how Clean the World is making our trash useful once again, be sure to click on the video below. It’s great to see that charities like this exist—they are cutting down on waste and making such a big difference in people’s lives!

What do you think of this unique idea? Have you come across this charity before? Do you have any ideas for recycling common materials like soap? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!