In 2009, a hotel guest asked what happened to leftover soap after checkout, his initiative later distributed over 100 million recycled bars

Shawn Seipler in 2009 traveled frequently for work when a simple question made him think about the amount of waste produced by hotels. He wanted to know what happened to soap bars left behind in hotel rooms after guests checked out.

Seipler called the hotel reception and asked about it. He was told that it was thrown away. This stayed with him, and he began looking into how much soap hotels discarded and whether it could be put to better use.

That question led to the creation of Clean the World, an organisation that collects used hotel soap, recycles it and distributes new bars to communities that need access to basic hygiene products. Since its launch, the initiative has distributed more than 100 million bars of recycled soap, according to the organisation.

What made him start?

Before this, he used to work as a global sales executive for a technology company. His job required frequent travel, which meant spending many nights in hotel rooms.

He noticed the soap problem, and then he started connecting other hotels to understand whether the practice was common.

The answers led him to investigate the scale of the problem. He also learnt about the health risks faced by people who lacked access to soap and proper hygiene.

Seipler launched Clean the World in 2009. He began working on the idea in a one-car garage.

The early work involved collecting discarded soap and finding a way to clean and recycle it safely. Family members helped him in it.

How large has Clean the World become?

Clean the World distributes recycled soap to communities vulnerable to hygiene-related illness. The organisation says its work is intended to reduce waste while improving access to essential hygiene products.

According to its website, Clean the World has distributed more than 100 million bars of recycled soap since 2009 and diverted more than 31 million pounds of waste from landfills.

The initiative has expanded beyond its early work in a garage. Clean the World says it now works with more than 8,600 hospitality partners worldwide through its recycling programme.

Its work covers both soap and plastic amenities discarded by hotels. The organisation continues to present recycling as a way for the hospitality industry to address waste while contributing to community hygiene efforts.