FAQ
What is Clean the World?
CTW is a non-profit, charitable organization that recycles soap, shampoo and lotion discarded by hotels, and distributes the recycled products worldwide to people who need it to prevent the spread of disease and death.
How did CTW get started?
CTW was started by Shawn Seipler and Paul Till in March of 2009. Shawn is the co-Founder and Executive Director of the organization. Paul Till is the co-Founder and Managing Director of the organization. The organization started when Shawn and Paul attempted to answer the following question: “What happens to the reduced bar of soap and unused portion of shampoo at a hotel when a guest is done using it?”
Where do you get the soap?
CTW collects the discarded bars of soap and unused portions of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and bath gel that is normally thrown away from hotels and resorts.
How many hotels are participating?
CTW has received a tremendous response from the hospitality industry. New hotels across the United States are joining the Clean the World recycle program every week. As of July 15, 2009, there were approximately 100 hotels participating in the program.
How do you recycle soap?
CTW has two primary recycling methods. The first method, named “Sterilization,” is a innovative, patent pending, proprietary process conducted on bars that appear entirely unused or slightly used. After The second method, “Re-batching,” is conducted on approximately 30% of the donated bars of soap, and is applied for all soap unqualified for our Sterilization process. . Re-batching cooks the impurities out of the soap, the re-forms them into new, recycled bars. Both recycling methods have been scientifically established to remove pathogens and other harmful bacteria pursuant to a study conducted by Tri-Tech Laboratories, a Florida state certified environmental laboratory.
Not less than 99% of known bacteria are killed if heated to a temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit or greater. Both CTW soap recycling processes, re-batching and sterilization, consume the entire bar in temperatures exceeding 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is the soap safe to use once recycled?
Absolutely! In addition to partnering with Tri-Tech Laboratories, a Florida state certified environmental laboratory, to conduct numerous and regular test on the recycled soap to ensure its safety and quality, CTW’s Executive Director, Shawn Seipler, and other CTW employees use CTW recycled soap at home.
Who does the recycling work?
CTW has a deep partnership with Central Care Mission, a long term men’s recovery home that has been located in Orlando, Florida for 21 years. During this challenging economic time, Central Care Mission is experiencing an increase in unemployed men in their program. While dealing with an addiction, working is an important component to recovery. At a time when CTW was in need for workers to conduct the recycling efforts, Central Care Mission stood up and took on the challenge. Today, Central Care Mission manages all pickup, recycling and re-packaging efforts and remains a key component and partnership for CTW.
How do you distribute the soap and shampoo?
CTW has an established international network for the delivery of soap where it is needed most. Today, CTW leverages missionaries, mission groups, orphanages, and other stable, people-focused groups for distribution. It is important that all goods get into the hands of the people that need it most. In many impoverished countries, the governments are unstable and unable to guarantee distribution of our goods to their people.
CTW is willing to work with any NPO, organization, charity, church group, missionary or government that can guarantee and prove the distribution of CTW goods to the people they service.
What is diarrheal disease?
Diarrhea occurs world-wide and causes 4% of all deaths and 5% of health loss to disability. It is most commonly caused by gastrointestinal infections which kill around 2.2 million people globally each year, mostly children in developing countries. The use of water in hygiene is an important preventive measure but contaminated water is also an important cause of diarrhea. Cholera and dysentery cause severe, sometimes life threatening forms of diarrhea.
Diarrhea is a symptom of infection caused by a host of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms most of which can be spread by contaminated water. It is more common when there is a shortage of clean water for drinking, cooking and cleaning and basic hygiene is important in prevention. Which hotels are involved?
CTW maintains a current list of participating hotels at www.cleantheworld.org/partners.
Where can I drop soap that I throw away?
Today, the only collection points for CTW are participating hotel partners. CTW is working with several national store chains to provide CTW collection bins to the general public. In the meantime, you may ship your donated soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion or bath gel to Central Care Mission, 4027 Lennox Blvd. Orlando, FL 32811
Are all you partner hotels green?
No.
How can I get involved in your cause (volunteers)?
Click here to find out how to volunteer!
Where does the soap go that the hotels throw away?
If a hotel is not participating in Clean the World’s recycle program, their discarded soap and shampoo is most likely thrown away into their communities land fills. If a hotel is partnered with Clean the World, the soap and shampoo is being recycled and distributed to domestic homeless shelters and impoverished countries.
How and who thought of this idea?
One day, Shawn Seipler called his good friend Paul Till to pose a question. With a tremendous amount of media and momentum around the “green” movement, Shawn, a frequent traveler, asked Paul “what do you think happens to the soap and shampoo at a hotel after the guest uses it?” That question set off a series of events that included a small 30 hotel survey asking this very question. 30 out of 30 hotels said they throw it away. After the initial opportunity of soap and shampoo waste was discovered, Shawn and Paul needed to figure out what they could do, if anything, with the recycled goods, granted they could even recycle soap and shampoo. Paul set out to determine what could be done and Shawn set out to figure out how it could be done. Over the course of the upcoming weeks, Paul researched and found countless studies, posted at www.cleantheworld.org/research-and-results , showing how recycle soap could save lives. At the same time, Shawn discovered a re-batching process that could be applied to soap. From there, Clean the World was birthed. The organization would be nowhere if not for the sacrifice and dedication of the early volunteers- Oscar Gonzalez, Noel Alamo, John Staubly, Robert Bahret and Rick Galarza. Along the way, more talented, committed and passionate individuals have joined the cause and even at this very moment, Clean the World continues to make a difference in the lives of people who need it most…