Every year, 5 million people worldwide die of acute respiratory infection and intestinal disease simply because they don’t have soap. And every day, hotels throw away millions of pounds of barely used soaps and shampoo. Orlando-based Clean the World (www.cleantheworld.org) found a solution—work with hotels nationwide to gather used toiletries, recycle and sanitize them with a high-volume soap recycler, then donate freshly repurposed soaps to needy populations around the world. Corporate groups can visit the organization’s 12,000-square-foot headquarters and recycling center to participate in the soap-recycling procedure. Programs big and small can be customized.
Meanwhile, if you meet or hold a trade show at the Tampa Convention Center, you can donate unused promotional items and other materials, including pens, pencils, notepads, folders and dry-erase markers and boards, to local school children who can’t afford to buy school supplies. The program is implemented through Tampa-based Teaching Tools for Hillsborough Schools (www.educationfoundation.com).
