How Used Hilton Hotel Soaps Get Recycled

Summary

The video script highlights the innovative efforts of Clean the World, a nonprofit organization founded by Shawn Seipler in 2009. The organization recycles used hotel toiletries into sterile soap bars, which are then distributed to communities in need, helping prevent diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea. Clean the World partners with major hotel chains like Hilton, Marriott, and Walt Disney World, aiming to reduce waste and provide hygiene products to over 50 million people in 127 countries. The script also addresses Hilton's commitment to eliminating soap waste by 2030 and the potential shift to bulk toiletries to further minimize environmental impact.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ross's hotel scene in 'Friends' humorously highlights the excess of hotel toiletries left behind by guests.
• 😀 Clean the World, a nonprofit founded by Shawn Seipler in 2009, recycles used soap from hotels to help fight disease in underserved areas.
• 😀 Seipler's initiative began with a few friends and simple tools, repurposing hotel soap and sending it to children in need around the world.
• 😀 Handwashing with soap can prevent deadly diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea, which kill millions of children annually.
• 😀 Since its inception, Clean the World has distributed over 50 million bars of soap to over 127 countries.
• 😀 The initiative has expanded globally, with facilities in Orlando, Las Vegas, Montreal, and Hong Kong.
• 😀 Clean the World partners with over 8,000 hotels, including major brands like Hilton, Marriott, and Walt Disney World Hotels.
• 😀 Hilton made a significant impact by donating 2 million pounds of toiletries in 2019, contributing to the creation of 7.6 million bars of soap.
• 😀 The soap recycling process involves sterilizing, grinding, and remolding used bars into new, safe soap for distribution.
• 😀 Hilton has pledged to divert all its soap waste from landfills by 2030, supporting sustainability efforts through partnerships with Clean the World.
• 😀 Some hotels are moving towards bulk toiletries instead of single-use items, and Clean the World is exploring new ways to ensure continued impact through hygiene kits and corporate event packages.

Q & A

What inspired Shawn Seipler to start Clean the World?

Shawn Seipler was inspired to start Clean the World after realizing that many hotel toiletries, such as half-used bars of soap, were being thrown away. This sparked the idea to recycle them and donate them to people in need.

How does Clean the World recycle hotel toiletries?

Clean the World recycles hotel toiletries by first collecting used soaps and bottles from hotel rooms. The soaps are surface cleaned, sterilized to remove pathogens, and then remolded into new bars to be donated to shelters and communities in need.

What health issues are people without access to soap more susceptible to?

People without access to soap are more susceptible to diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea, which can be fatal, particularly for children under five years old. These diseases can be prevented by regular handwashing.

How many bars of soap has Clean the World distributed since 2009?

Since 2009, Clean the World has distributed more than 50 million bars of soap to people in 127 countries.

Which major hotel chains partner with Clean the World?

Some of the major hotel chains that partner with Clean the World include Walt Disney World Hotels, Marriott, and Hilton.

What was Hilton's contribution to Clean the World in the first seven months of 2019?

In the first seven months of 2019, Hilton donated 2 million pounds of toiletries, which contributed to the production of 7.6 million bars of recycled soap.

What is Hilton's goal for soap waste by 2030?

Hilton has pledged to divert all of its soap from ending up in the trash by 2030, aiming to prevent it from contributing to landfills.

What happens to the toiletries after they are collected from hotels?

After the toiletries are collected, they are transported to Clean the World's recycling facilities, where they are sorted by product and undergo a sterilization process to eliminate pathogens before being remolded into new bars of soap.

What other types of initiatives does Clean the World have aside from recycling soap?

Aside from recycling soap, Clean the World is working on creating new 'impact products', such as hygiene kits and corporate event packages, to make up for potential drops in production and revenue if hotels switch to bulk toiletries instead of individual ones.

Why is it important for hotels to avoid throwing away toiletries?

Throwing away toiletries contributes to significant waste, especially in landfills. By recycling and redistributing toiletries, hotels can help reduce environmental impact and provide hygiene products to vulnerable populations around the world.