In an effort to be more eco-friendly, Marriott announced they will no longer be providing single-use, travel-sized toiletry bottles in their hotel room bathrooms.
The hospitality giant revealed the news in a press release Tuesday, sharing that when the initiative fully rolls out by December 2020, they will have saved about 1.7 million pounds of plastic or about 500 million mini bottles from going into landfills, as the current containers are not typically recycled.
“Our guests are looking to us to make changes that will create a meaningful difference for the environment while not sacrificing the quality service and experience they expect from our hotels,” said Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International.
In lieu of the single-use bottles, Marriott will be providing shampoo, conditioner and bath gel in the form of larger, pump-topped recyclable bottles. To date, Marriott announced, they have tested the initiative in 1,000 properties in North America.
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The company is already thinking ahead to how they can remove other single-use items from their guest rooms beyond the bathroom.
This isn’t Marriott’s first green initiative, either. The company first began reducing its plastic intake 13 months ago with the phasing out of disposable straws and stirrers. Marriott reported an “estimated annual diversion of 1 billion plastic straws from landfills,” according to the release.
The move is part of an industry-wide shift, according to the Washington Post, which notes that InterContinental Hotels Group took similar steps in July, while Hyatt is instituting the bulk dispensers at particular test properties. Disney hotels and cruise ships have not had single-use toiletries since last year.
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