Jane E. Fraser

Saving the world, one bar of soap at a time July 16, 2010

Have you ever thought about what happens to all the half-used bars of soap and bottles of shampoo that you leave behind in hotel rooms?  A US-based charity, Clean the World, is saving lives by collecting these products to help improve hygiene standards in poor countries. Last year, the organisation collected, recycled and distributed more than 200 tonnes of soap and other bathroom amenities.

“Impoverished people around the world die every day from acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease because they have no soap,” the charity says. “Studies have shown that simple hand washing substantially reduces the spread of these diseases.”

Clean the World provides participating hotels in North America with collection bins and helps educate housekeeping staff on the benefits of the recycling program. Soap bars that have only been slightly used are sanitised, while those that have been well-used are recycled into new bars.

The charity says as well as saving lives, the recycling program is good for the planet, by significantly reducing waste. Since its inception in February last year, it claims to have eliminated more than 300 tonnes of waste – the equivalent of five million soap bars and more than 30 tonnes of shampoo and conditioner.

This article is an excerpt from Jane E. Fraser’s weekly travel column in The Sun Herald, Sydney