Not only is there an effort to recycle the discarded plastics, but also many Las Vegas hotels and resort-casinos (a total of 36 hotels in the entire state) participate in the Clean the World non-profit program, which also recycles and distributes the leftover soap and other discarded toiletries to communities in need around the world. It's estimated that over 750,000 deaths during the neonatal period (babies under 28 days old) and in children aged five and under occur annually because of infectious syndromes such as sepsis, acute respiratory infection, neonatal tetanus, and diarrhea, all of which can be radically reduced with the availability of certain basic personal-hygiene practices, so the provision of clean water for all (as parallel non-profit ONE DROP is striving to achieve) and cleansing products is a simple way to potentially save a lot of lives.
Venetian/Palazzo, the whole Caesars Entertainment group, Wynn/Encore, Four Seasons, Trump, Best Western Casino Royale, Mandarin Oriental, and certain Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott properties are among Las Vegas' participating hotels. From the official website, under Partners, you can see how much each has contributed to date. For example, in the case of Venetian, since becoming involved the hotel has collected and donated 43,000 tons of plastic for recycling and has been responsible for the recycling and re-distribution of almost half a million bars of soap. Caesars Palace has collected 26,288 "bottled amenities" (shampoo, conditioner, lotion etc.) and has been responsible for distributing 234,603 bars of soap.
While MGM Resorts International does not currently participate in Clean the World, the group does actively recycle all kinds of materials, including more than 2,000 tons annually of plastic, 6,000 tons of glass, 1,300 tons of kitchen grease, and almost 30,000 tons combined of "organic" (mainly food) and horticultural waste. As we mentioned in a recent "Question of the Day," when it comes to recycling and sustainable practices, the Las Vegas hospitality industry is leaps ahead of the residential component of the city.
