Las Vegas' reputation doesn't usually engender thoughts of generosity or acts of sustainabilty / Green benefit. Some of that specific reputation is deserved. However, the Las Vegas Strip hotels are involved in an effort to contribute to Green technology practices through an organization known as Clean the World (CTW).
CTW is renowned for it's efforts to recycle and redistribute soaps throughout the world, particularly distributing to global communities in need of improved hygiene and health. Their website points out that impoverished communities ( particularly in children under the age of 5) suffer acute respiratory and diarrheal diseases due to lack of soap. Simple handwashing with soap significantly reduces the spread of diseases and saves lives.
Since it's founding in 2009, CTW has redistributed 11 million bars of soap to people in 45 countries. Their efforts have kept an estimated 1.2 million pounds out of our already swollen landfills. Further, that has removed a significant source of contamination for our groundwater systems.
The Las Vegas Strip hotels are gathering their leftover toiletries from guestrooms such as shampoos, body lotions, and soaps and giving them to CTW for recycling and redistribution to needy North American and global locales. The leftover soaps and toiletries are placed in bins at participating hotels, picked up by drivers, and then delivered to a recycling center where they are sorted and sanitized.
There are four of these recycling centers in Las Vegas. One of these centers has processed nearly 31,000 pounds of soap and over 18,000 pounds of bottled toiletries from the Strip since the beginning of this year.
A major funding provider for this program is the Caesars Entertainment entity which contributes through donations and grants. Sure, they accrue the tax benefits associated with charitable contributions but it's encouraging to see Caesars and other Las Vegas property management groups contribute to such a worthy cause. Wynn / Encore, Venetian/Palazzo, and many MGM Resorts properties on the Strip are also involved.
Las Vegas isn't totally about neon, deals, and sin. This is truly a program that has and will continue to save lives, and is a solid effort during this time and spiritual season of giving.
Cheers...
Charles Higgins
Article info source - Hotel News Resource
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