As the leading organization involved in industry sustainability, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) continues a year-long association with Clean the World this year, focusing on impacting the communities in which planners organize meetings and events.
Clean the World is an Orlando, Florida based social enterprise that collects, recycles and distributes hotel soaps and bottled amenities to help stop the spread of preventable diseases. In just two years Clean the World has distributed more than 8 million soap bars to children and families in nearly 45 countries, most of which were collected from more than 1,000 hotel partners throughout North America.
Following a stirring presentation by Clean the World’s Executive Director Shawn Seipler at 2010 World Education Congress (WEC) in Vancouver, MPI introduced Clean the World into the Canadian marketplace.
The results were immediate. More than 400 pounds of soap were collected during WEC 2010 on behalf of Clean the World, and an additional 2,000 pounds of soap were collected in the first two months of operation in Canada. Since the start of this relationship, Clean the World has opened two recycling centers in Canada – one in Vancouver and the other in Toronto.
The Vancouver recycling facility, which serves Western Canada, was established with help from a $5,000 USD donation from MPI Foundation to Mission Possible, a downtown Vancouver charity that helps empower the homeless and disadvantaged.The Toronto recycling operations center was established by Clean the World through a partnership with Turtle Island Recycling and serves the central and eastern portions of Canada.
“We are grateful for MPI’s friendship and endorsement and look forward to extending our relationship in the future to better serve communities in need of soap and recycled products in the United States, Canada and around the globe,” says Seipler. “I encourage all MPI members and meeting planners across North America to schedule meetings and events at hotel partners where soaps and bottled amenities are recycled by Clean the World.”
Attendees at WEC 2011(July 23 – 26, 2011) in Orlando will have the opportunity to go offsite to help process soap at Clean the World’s headquarters. The effort is just one of seven social initiative projects available at WEC.
The latest development in the relationship between Clean the World and MPI is the advancement of Clean the World’s meeting industry partner programs, designed to assist planners with implementing sustainability practices during the RFP process. The turnkey CSR initiative turns meetings into life saving events in which host properties and event attendees play a role in the collection and shipping of soaps to the Clean the World headquarters, where the materials are processed and distributed to communities in need.
“Our work with Clean the World gives MPI members and event attendees the opportunity to save lives around the world,” said Roger Simons, manager of CSR and Sustainable events for MPI. “Knowing that their efforts help stop the spread of preventable diseases and provide better, cleaner living opportunities for children and families gives tremendous incentive to keep pushing forward with more sustainable programs and green’ initiatives.”
Posted by Lauren 05/05/11
