Imagine, if you dare, a life without soap. It’s a scary thought, no doubt, especially if you are a germaphobe like me. Sadly, for many, it’s a stark reality.
No sweet smelling Ivory bars or vanilla berry sorbet body wash. It’s just not available and on the rare occasion it is, the expense it just too great. (Many Haitians live on $2 a day; soap, when it’s around, can cost twice that.)
With all that in mind, I showed up at Clean the World in downtown Orlando, a 501(c)3 charity that recycles hotel soaps and shampoos and redistributes the items to countries in need. Brilliant, right? Just think of how many times you’ve been to a hotel, used the sudsy stuff once or twice, and it ends up in the trash after that.
With Clean the World, that doesn’t happen. The used toiletries get scooped into bins and shipped over to their warehouse. Once there, the donations are cleaned, repackaged and shipped off. On average, they bring in about 10,000 bars of soap a day and distribute to 40 countries around the world including Haiti, Zimbabwe, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Swaziland, Mali, Mongolia, Uganda, Honduras and Romania.
It’s easy to see why they need volunteers. That’s where I came in. After signing up online and filling out a waiver, I showed up at their 15,000 square-foot recycling facility. With potato peeler in hand, I began removing layers off of dozens of bars of soap. Alongside me was a senior from Jones High School, a college student sporting a fedora and iPod and a chatty young woman in her late 20s. Together we filled up bin after bin with soap shavings. By 3:30 p.m. we were done for the day.
What a smart idea, I thought, especially with the boatload of hotels in the Central Florida area. I’m amazed by the simple impact it can make on so many lives. Consider this: Millions of people die from diarrheal diseases every year. Experts say that simple hand-washing could prevent much of that death.
In that regard, if you’re as astounded by this organization as I am, here’s my suggestion: Tack on an extra day to your vacation, and volunteer at Clean the World. Or, organize a soap drive in your hometown.
How you can help:
1. Donate soap, shampoo, conditioner or lotion products. Host your own soap drive. For more information, visit www.cleantheworld.org, call 407.574.8353 or email [email protected].
2. Volunteer your time. E-mail [email protected].
3. If you stay at hotels, ask them to participate in the Partner Recycling Program.
First published on i.seekissimmee.com.
Clean the World
400A Pittman Street
Orlando, FL 32801
407-574-8353
www.cleantheworld.org