Marriott Pledges to Ditch Plastic Toiletries
This past month, Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel chain, made headlines with its announcement to remove all small plastic toiletry bottles from its hotels by 2020.
Isn’t This Old News?
Sort of. In 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that hundreds of hotels, including several Marriott properties, pledged to move away from plastic toiletry bottles and towards re-fillable pump dispensers. Marriott tested its big-bottle initiative at about 1,000 properties and is now ready to make the switch at the rest of its locations, worldwide, by December 2020. The goal? Prevent 500 million tiny bottles (that’s about 1.7 million pounds of plastic) from ending up in our landfills each year.
The Reason for the Wait
If you’re thinking, “plastic has been an issue for quite awhile, why are hotels just now making changes?”, you’re not the only one. But, Marriott’s CEO, Arne Sorensen, was quick to explain that the hotel brand had to design re-fillable bottles that were both tamper-resistent and luxurious. And although many guests were concerned about the safety and appearance of bulky toiletry bottles, Marriott’s new initiative has proven fairly successful. Strategic partnerships with well-known luxury brands like Paul Mitchell allow the refillable bottles to be eco-friendly, without sacrificing the brand’s luxurious reputation.
How It All Started
Despite Marriott being the largest hotel chain to announce its sustainable shift, it wasn’t the first. In August, InterContinental Hotels Group pledged to remove mini toiletries from its 5,600 hotels. By the end of 2021 (one year later than Marriott), every bathroom in an IHG hotel (think: Holiday Inn and Kimpton Hotels), will be stocked with refillable bathroom amenities.
What’s Next?
Great question. With big brands banning plastic straws and shampoo bottles, it’s only a matter of time before other hotels follow suit. Once toiletries shift sustainable, big brands will most likely continue finding ways to improve their footprint. Think: energy saving practices, grey water recycling and more.
