Situated on a half-acre in the Napa Valley, the Inn on Randolph is in a restored 1860 Gothic Revival Victorian home that also features three private bungalows from the 1930s. While the structures at this inn may be old-fashioned, the innkeepers are partaking in a progressive recycling project with a global impact.
The Inn at Randolph is the first lodging property in Napa Valley to partner with a program called Clean the World. In this program, the innkeepers gather empty or discarded soap and shampoo products once a guest leaves. They will then ship the products to Clean the World’s Operations Center, where the items are properly sanitized and then distributed globally to those in need of hygiene products.
Clean the World was founded in February 2009 and is based in Orlando, Florida. Their goal is to prevent illness and death due to acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease, which is the cause of death to more than five million people each year. Most of the victims are children under 5 years of age.
Personal hygiene and the availability of cleaning products is something we take for granted in the Western world. According to studies, a press release says, basic hand washing can effectively prevent the spread of many of these illnesses, but soap and other essential cleaning items simply aren’t available to many millions across the world.
In 2009, over 230 tons of shampoo, soap, and other amenities from lodgings were gathered by Clean the World and distributed to people in over 50 global countries, such as Uganda, Zimbabwe, Honduras, El Salvador, and Romania. “They are also a natural disaster First Responder,” a press release says. “As part of Haiti Earthquake Relief efforts in January 2010, Clean the World collected and distributed over 150 tons of hygiene products, medical supplies, water, and other essentials.”
Inn owner Deborah Coffee said in a press release, “Although the Inn on Randolph isn’t a large property, we discovered that our ten rooms generate thousands of soap and shampoo remnants annually. With this innovative program, we have found a way to help save lives while being environmentally responsible.”
Other BedandBreakfast.com members who participate in the Clean the World program are:
- Lavender Inn (Ojai, CA)
- Fairbanks House (Amelia Island, FL)
- Aysgarth Station Bed and Breakfast (Bar Harbor, ME)
- Candlelight Inn (North Wildwood, NJ)
- 1847 Blake House Inn Bed & Breakfast (Asheville, NC)
- The Lodge on Lake Lure (Lake Lure, NC)
- Ivy Terrace (New York, NY)
- Inn at Woodward Park (Tulsa, OK)
- Morris House Hotel (Philadelphia, PA)
- West Hill House (Warren, VT)
- The Hummingbird Inn (Goshen, VA)
- Maury Place at Monument (Richmond, VA)
- Heritage House B&B (Washington, VA)
- Arlington's River Rock Inn (Arlington, WA)
What do you think about this recycling program?