Clean the World
Clean the World is a Florida nonprofit founded in 2009 that collects, sanitizes, and recycles used soap bars and plastic amenity bottles from over 8,599 global hospitality partners, distributing the recycled products to vulnerable communities through The WASH Foundation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersOrlando, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Clean the World does
Clean the World is a Florida-incorporated nonprofit social enterprise founded in 2009 that operates the Global Hospitality Recycling Program for the hospitality industry. The company collects partially used soap bars and plastic amenity bottles from hotel partners, sanitizes and reprocesses the soap into new bars, and distributes recycled products to vulnerable communities in 140+ countries through The WASH Foundation, a related global health organization. As of recent disclosure, the program has more than 8,599 hospitality partners globally and has recycled over 80 million bars of soap and diverted more than 25 million pounds of waste since inception. The company also runs the Fresh Start Mobile Showers program (since 2017) for individuals experiencing homelessness in the United States, CTW Events Impact Experiences for corporate team building, and Soap in Schools educational programs in developing regions.
The company's underlying technology consists of a proprietary soap recycling process, a web-based customer portal (portal.cleantheworld.org) for shipment tracking and impact reporting, color-coded collection boxes with pictogram instructions to overcome language barriers, and bulk plastic amenity boxes launched in late 2024 for high-volume large-format bottles. Operations span seven offices in the United States (Orlando headquarters, Las Vegas), Canada (Montreal), the United Kingdom (Hitchin), the Netherlands (Aalsmeer European headquarters), Hong Kong, and the Dominican Republic. A new plastic recycling unit was added at the Orlando facility in January 2026, extending in-house capability beyond soap.
The business model is primarily B2B subscription-based, with per-room monthly fees ranging from $0.41 to $1.14 depending on region and program type (soap plus bottles versus bottles only), plus a flat $60/year fee for bed and breakfast partners. Revenue is supplemented by merchandise sales, corporate events, and tax-deductible donations processed via The WASH Foundation. Customer acquisition combines enterprise field sales through regional offices, channel partnerships with major hotel brands (Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Hyatt, Wyndham, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Best Western), and self-service signup flows for smaller properties.
Clean the World firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clean the World
- Legal name
- Clean the World Foundation, Inc.
- Website
- https://cleantheworld.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Clean the World is a Florida nonprofit founded in 2009 that collects, sanitizes, and recycles used soap bars and plastic amenity bottles from over 8,599 global hospitality partners, distributing the recycled products to vulnerable communities through The WASH Foundation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clean the World industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hospitality Waste Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Industrial Launderers (812332), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)
- SIC
- Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Refuse Systems (4953), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC), WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI), Industrial Laundry & Textile Waste Services (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAI)
Keywords
Where Clean the World is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Orlando
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Clean the World business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hospitality Partnership Fees: Monthly per-room fees charged to hotel partners for participation in the Global Hospitality Recycling Program. Fees vary by region: Continental US $0.53/room/month (full) or $0.41/room/month (bottles only); Canada billed in CAD; minimum $50/month or $75 CAD/month. Billing options include quarterly, semi-annual (2% discount), or annual (5% discount).
- Bed & Breakfast Partnership: Annual flat fee of $60 for small B&B partners (up to 25 rooms), with partner responsible for shipping and collection materials
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of 'Wash Your Hands, Bro' merchandise where purchase price donates bars of soap to people in need. Also includes Clean the World branded merchandise through shop.cleantheworld.org
- Donations and Philanthropy: Tax-deductible donations accepted through The WASH Foundation for supporting hygiene kit distribution and mobile shower programs for homeless individuals
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Quarterly | Continental US Full Program - $0.53/room/month |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Continental US Bottles Only - $0.41/room/month |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Alaska Program - $0.65/room/month (full) or $0.51 (bottles) |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Hawaii Program - $1.14/room/month (full) or $0.89 (bottles) |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Canada Program - Per room/month in CAD with minimums |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | B&B Partner Program - $60 annual flat fee |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels11 records
Clean the World product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clean the World operates the Global Hospitality Recycling Program, a subscription service that collects partially-used soap bars and plastic amenity bottles from over 8,599 hotel partners worldwide, reprocesses the soap into new bars, and donates the recycled products to global NGOs through The WASH Foundation for distribution to vulnerable communities. The program is supported by a customer portal for shipment tracking and impact reporting, color-coded collection boxes, and tiered per-room monthly pricing by region.
Product overview
Clean the World operates a social enterprise focused on soap and plastic amenity recycling from the hospitality industry. The core product is the Global Hospitality Recycling Program, which collects discarded soap bars and plastic bottles from hotel partners, processes them into new soap bars and recycled plastic, and distributes these through global NGOs to vulnerable communities. The offering includes a Customer Portal for partners to manage orders, track shipments, and view impact data; redesigned color-coded collection boxes for simplified logistics; a Sustainability Guide for ESG alignment; and CTW Events for team-building activities. Additional programs include the Fresh Start Mobile Showers for homeless populations and Soap in Schools educational initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 25 million pounds of waste diverted from landfills since 2009
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Clean the World
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Clean the World technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Clean the World partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, supporting and core.
- Replacer (UK)strategicClean the World joined Replacer in the UK to accelerate circular hospitality. Partnership focuses on turning sustainability goals into tangible outcomes, combining Clean the World's recycling expertise with Replacer's circular economy platform.
- SalesforcesupportingClean the World utilizes Salesforce as its internal database to manage the Soap Saves Lives (SSLB) product. Salesforce stores Participant Employee Data for 90 days after confirmation that SSLBs have been successfully delivered to the designated charity, then data is erased.
- CVENTsupportingCTW utilizes CVENT platform (optional) to enter and obtain Participant Employee data for SSLB events. CVENT retains Participant Employee data for 90 days after the SSLB event.
- UPScoreUPS serves as the third-party shipper to deliver SSLB products to Participant employees. UPS retains Participant Employee Data for 12 months. Strong UPS partnership enables streamlined pickup processes for hospitality recycling program.
- Green Hotel Club (GHC)coreGreen Hotel Club is a Netherlands foundation that promotes collaboration on sustainability in the hospitality industry. Clean the World supports GHC member hotels in Amsterdam and hosted Green Hotel Club at new European headquarters in Aalsmeer, Netherlands.
- Best Western Hotels & ResortscoreBest Western's Annual Convention collaboration supports 'For a Better World' initiative. Clean the World participates in Best Western events to engage hotel partners in sustainability programs.
- PPHE Hotel GroupstrategicPPHE Hotel Group joined Clean the World's Global Hospitality Recycling Program in November 2024, using data to strengthen its ESG strategy across their hotel portfolio.
- Las Vegas Sands (Sands Cares)coreLas Vegas Sands partnership supports the Fresh Start Mobile Showers program providing hot showers and hygiene supplies to homeless individuals in Las Vegas. Established in 2017, the program has become a driving force towards successful transition to housing, treatment, and job placement services.
- Preferred Hotels & ResortscoreLong-term global partnership since 2009 with expanded European partnership in recent years. Over 8,200 hotels in Clean the World's program globally through this partnership.
- The WASH FoundationcoreThe WASH Foundation is the primary distribution partner for Clean the World's recycled soap and hygiene kits. An evolution of Clean the World Foundation, The WASH Foundation is a global health organization committed to improving quality of life for vulnerable communities through sustainable resources, programming, and education focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene. They receive donated soap and distribute to women, children, and communities globally.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Clean the World competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Plastic Bank: Social enterprise that collects and recycles plastic waste into recycled-content products for global redistribution. Closest direct peer given the parallel social-enterprise circular-economy model combining waste collection with humanitarian distribution.
- TerraCycle: Recycles hard-to-recycle waste streams through brand-sponsored programs. Comparable as a circular-economy social enterprise operating recycling logistics and corporate partnerships at scale, though broader in waste categories.
Broad incumbents
- Waste Management (WM): Largest North American waste services company with sustainability/ESG offerings for commercial customers. Could compete in hospitality waste streams at scale given logistics and capital advantages.
- Diversey: Commercial cleaning, sanitation, and hygiene solutions provider with deep hospitality penetration. Comparable in offering hygiene and sustainability programs to hotels, but as part of a much broader chemical and equipment portfolio.
- Ecolab: Global leader in water, hygiene, and infection-prevention solutions serving hospitality among many verticals. Broad incumbent offering overlapping sustainability/sanitation capabilities for hotels, though at much larger scale and with diversified product portfolio.
- Republic Services: Major US waste management company with sustainability-focused commercial services. Comparable as a large-scale waste services incumbent that could expand into hospitality amenity recycling.
- Sodexo: Global integrated facility services and food services provider with sustainability programs targeting hospitality and corporate clients. Adjacent in hospitality services and ESG offerings.
Emerging players
- Algramo: Bulk-refill packaging platform for consumer goods including hospitality amenities. Comparable emerging player tackling single-use plastic reduction in hospitality through circular packaging models.
- Plaine Products: Refillable, eco-friendly personal care and cleaning products with circular supply chain. Comparable in targeting plastic waste reduction through reusable amenity models for hospitality-adjacent customers.
Others
- Sealed Air: Packaging and food hygiene company with sustainability-focused packaging solutions. Adjacent as a packaging/waste-reduction player whose hospitality programs could intersect with Clean the World's amenity recycling.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clean the World social profiles
Digital presenceClean the World compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Clean the World financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clean the World leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Clean the World funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clean the World M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clean the World
What does Clean the World do?
Clean the World operates the Global Hospitality Recycling Program, a subscription service that collects partially-used soap bars and plastic amenity bottles from over 8,599 hotel partners worldwide, reprocesses the soap into new bars, and donates the recycled products to global NGOs through The WASH Foundation for distribution to vulnerable communities. The program is supported by a customer portal for shipment tracking and impact reporting, color-coded collection boxes, and tiered per-room monthly pricing by region.
Is Clean the World a public or private company?
Clean the World is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Clean the World founded?
Clean the World was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Clean the World based?
Clean the World is headquartered in Orlando, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clean the World make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hospitality Partnership Fees are the primary driver. The others are bed & Breakfast Partnership, merchandise Sales and donations and Philanthropy.
Who are Clean the World's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Plastic Bank and TerraCycle. Broad incumbents are Waste Management (WM), Diversey, Ecolab, Republic Services and Sodexo. Emerging players are Algramo and Plaine Products. Sealed Air is listed as an others.
Does Clean the World have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clean the World.
What industry is Clean the World in?
Clean the World's product category is Hospitality Waste Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAI, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions, with a secondary code of BPAGABAC, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH). Its NAICS code is 812332 and its SIC code is 2842.