United Airlines and Clean the World Partner to Assemble Hygiene Kits For Hub-Based Charities

Volunteers in cities across the country and in the U.K. gather to help those in critical need

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Oct 26, 2016, 10:15 ET

CHICAGO, Oct. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines employees this week are volunteering at hubs across the company's network to assemble more than 15,000 hygiene kits that the airline is donating to charities in its hub markets and communities in the United States impacted by Hurricane Matthew. United is the first airline to partner with Clean the World, which works with hotels around the globe to prevent millions of hygiene-related deaths each year by providing soap and hygiene education to make handwashing a lifelong habit and encourage childhood development. The volunteer events mark the latest step in United's ongoing effort to reduce its impact on the environment and support the communities it serves.

Earlier this year, United teamed up with Clean the World to repurpose items from the airline's international premium cabin amenity kits and donate the hygiene products to those in critical need. United expects to divert more than 60,000 pounds of material that would otherwise go to landfills within the first 12 months of the program. United volunteers are assembling the repurposed items into thousands of new hygiene kits, which include soaps, shampoos, toothpastes and other hygiene products.

"United is committed to playing an active role in the communities we serve, and our employees around our network are working together to help those in need," said Brett Hart, United's executive vice president and general counsel. "Partnering with Clean the World enables us to help further address important issues that matter to our employees while also lessening our impact on the environment."

"The success of Clean the World hinges on the support of great partners like United," said Shawn Seipler, Clean the World's founder and chief executive officer. "As our first airline partner, United sets a precedent for other companies outside the hotel and event management industries. United's amenity kit recycling program – and the volunteer efforts of its employees – will contribute to saving the lives of thousands of individuals in critical need."

United continues to bring more sustainable products and services to its operation, from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified terminals in Houston and San Francisco to sustainably sourced illy coffee.

In 2015, the airline saved nearly 30 million gallons of jet fuel through emissions reduction efforts, equal to removing more than 60,000 cars from the road. Throughout the past seven years, United has recycled nearly 30 million pounds of aluminum cans, paper and plastic from its flights and facilities. The airline's ongoing upcycling program diverts advertising material from landfills while creating unique travel bags and accessories.

United recently made history by becoming the first U.S. airline to use commercial-scale volumes of sustainable aviation biofuel, which is part of the fuel on all United flights from its Los Angeles hub.

For more information on United's commitment to environmental sustainability, visit united.com/ecoskies.

About Clean the World

Clean the World is a social enterprise dedicated to the mission of saving millions of lives around the world while simultaneously diverting hotel waste from landfills. The organization collects discarded soap and other hygiene products from more than 4,000 hotel and resort partners and operates recycling centers in North America, Asia, and Europe. Clean the World provides hygiene education and microlending to make handwashing and local soap purchases a lifelong habit in developing regions. Through its hygiene kit program, Clean the World provides personal care items to relief organizations throughout North America. Since 2009, more than 35 million bars of Clean the World soap have been distributed in 100 countries. More information: http://www.cleantheworld.org.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate more than 4,500 flights a day to 339 airports across five continents. In 2015, United and United Express operated more than 1.5 million flights carrying more than 140 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates more than 720 mainline aircraft, and this year, the airline anticipates taking delivery of 21 new Boeing aircraft, including 737NGs, 787s and 777s, as well as six used Airbus A319 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 192 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

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SOURCE United Airlines