ORLANDO, FLA.—Ebola cases continue to rise “frighteningly quickly” in parts of Sierra Leone, according to a report from The Africa Governance Initiative (AGI). As transmission accelerates in some areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that hand washing frequently with soap and water is one of the best ways to protect against Ebola. Clean the World is supporting infection-control measures in West Africa by shipping 5 million bars of soap to the region.
Operation Soap Blitz is a new Clean the World campaign with the goal of reducing the spread of viral diseases both overseas and in North America. In addition to sending soap to West Africa, Operation Soap Blitz will provide 100,000 hygiene kits to the homeless and other vulnerable people in need here in the United States during the cold and flu season.
“As the world’s only large-scale soap recycler, it is our responsibility to step up to the plate and provide hygiene supplies to people who desperately need them,” said Shawn Seipler, founder of Clean the World. “Our mission is to provide soap to those at risk for hygiene-related illnesses. There has never been a better time for us to fulfill that mission.”
Clean the World is a social enterprise that recycles discarded and surplus soap from the hospitality and hygiene industries. Seipler says that when he told the organization’s corporate partners about Operation Soap Blitz, they jumped at the chance to help.
Part of Sands Cares
“Las Vegas Sands has a deep and long-standing commitment to giving back,” said Ron Reese, Sands Vice President of Corporate Communications. “Through Sands Cares, our global corporate citizenship program, we strive to contribute in the communities where we operate and in the global community as well. Operation Soap Blitz gives us the opportunity to do both.”
Clean the World is well positioned to send soap where it is needed most. The organization collaborates with humanitarian organizations with existing distribution channels in the countries battling Ebola.
“This current outbreak of Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea is the largest in history, and the people there need a large supply of soap to stop the spread of the virus,” said Jeff Picken, President of Beaumont Products, Inc., manufacturers of Clearly Natural Personal Care Products. “We felt the need to support Clean the World in Operation Soap Blitz, because their distribution network has a direct line to the affected areas.”
Seipler says Sands Cares is sponsoring 200,000 bars of recycled soap to West Africa. Other sponsorships include 100,000 bars from Clearly Natural, and 100,000 bars from the American Cleaning Institute. Unilever recently donated 280,000 pounds of surplus soap pieces, which Clean the World will remanufacture into 3-ounce bars and then distribute both domestically and internationally.
Go to Clean the World.
