How Used Soaps and Toiletries From Major Hotel Chains Are Recycled for an International Good Cause

In a clarifying report for Tech Insider, associate producer Abby Tang explains how used hotel soap and other toiletries are given a second life through the philanthropic organization Clean the World.

Clean the World, which began as a garage-based startup, partners with such major hospitality chains as Marriott, Disney World Resort Hotels, and Hilton. The cleaning staff collects the used toiletries in a special bin collected by Clean the World. They then batch, sterilize and re-form new and larger recycled soap bars, and collectively rebottle shampoos and conditioners. These recycled items are put together to create hygiene kits for those communities lacking such resources. In doing this, the organization helps people the world over and keeps these items out of the trash, which is better for the environment. And we all know the significance of washing your hands.

Our mission: collect and recycle soap and hygiene products discarded every day by the hospitality industry and other sectors that generate environmental waste. …Throughout our history, we have distributed over 50 million bars of soap, hygiene kits, and other WASH supplies, contributing to a 60% reduction in the rate of deaths related to poor hygiene. Having served over 10 million people in 127 countries within the past 10 years, we’re on a mission to provide WASH for All.