Hilton Dublin Airport
Here are the bottles of body wash by Peter Thomas Roth filled with colourful microbeads. Photograph ©2014 by Brian Cohen.

Single Use Plastic Toiletry Bottles at Hotels to Become Illegal in California?

As of last week, Ash Kalra found out that he is closer to having his way: personal care products in the form of miniature plastic toiletry bottles — which contain fewer than 12 ounces of liquid product — is one step closer to be banned from lodging establishments in California effective as of Sunday, January 1, 2023, as members of the State Assembly of California voted 50-24 on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 to pass the bill into law.

Single Use Plastic Toiletry Bottles at Hotels to Become Illegal in California?

Holiday Inn Vilnius
In addition to bars of soap wrapped in plastic, the Holiday Inn Vilnius provided both liquid toiletries in miniature plastic bottles and in a wall dispenser. Please click on the photograph for a review of this hotel property. Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Kalra — who represents parts of eastern San Jose in the 27th Assembly District in the California State Assembly as a member of the Democratic political party — submitted an amendment to Assembly Bill number 1162 to prohibit lodging establishments in the state of California from “providing a small plastic bottle containing a personal care product to a person staying in a sleeping room accommodation, in any space within the sleeping room accommodation, or in an area that is shared by the public or guests” to be effective as of Sunday, January 1, 2023.

Moreover, the bill — which is an amendment to the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, as administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery — would require a state agency or “local agency with authority to inspect sleeping accommodations in a lodging establishment to notify lodging establishments of this requirement no less than one year before the requirement would become operative.”

The bill still has to be passed by the state senate and signed by the governor before it becomes law in California.

Lodging establishments which are found in violation of the law by an authorized state or local authority would be issued a citation:

  • Written warning upon a first violation
  • $500.00 for a second or subsequent violation — not to exceed $2,000.00 annually

Recycling Should Be the Answer

Take a look underneath that miniature plastic toiletry bottles when you are in the bathroom of your room at a hotel or resort property…

Miniature plastic toiletry bottle
Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.

…and you will likely see that familiar triangular arrows symbol of the Resin Identification Coding System, which is a standard as specified by the American Society for Testing and Materials pertaining to recycling. For both of the bottles shown in the above photograph, the resin code is for polyethylene terephthalate, which is nicknamed by the more familiar acronym known as PETE.

All miniature plastic toiletry bottles for personal care products — such as shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and mouthwash as four examples — should be required to be manufactured by one recyclable material which had already been recycled. Perhaps that material can be based from a plant to be even more friendly to the environment.

Delta Hotels Banff Royal Canadian Lodge
Please click on the photograph for a review of the Delta Hotels Banff Royal Canadian Lodge, which is where this blue recycling receptacle were found. Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Lodging establishments should then be required to provide a receptacle in guest rooms especially for recyclable materials. Once the guest is finished using the product, he or she then properly disposes of that bottle into the appropriate receptacle.

Many hotel and resort properties around the world already have a similar system in place — such as the Delta Hotels Banff Royal Canadian Lodge, at which I stayed.

Solid!

bar soap expiration date
Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.

Some people who are concerned about the environment would suggest that most — if not all toiletries — should be in solid form instead of as liquids in order to eliminate the need for small plastic bottles. For example, soap is still supplied in the form of solid bars at many lodging establishments instead of body wash in miniature plastic bottles; and they usually are packaged in cardboard boxes, which are easy to recycle.

Hyatt Place Richmond/Chester
Please click on the photograph for a review of the Hyatt Place Richmond/Chester hotel property, which is where these bars of soap wrapped in plastic were found. Photographs ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

One problem is solid products which come wrapped in plastic, which usually cannot be recycled — but plastic wrap arguably better protects the product which is contained in it. If possible, a happy compromise would be to seal solid toiletries in a material that gives as much protection to the product as plastic, but can be easily recycled like cardboard.

Not everyone likes them, but certain shampoos and other products which are usually liquid in nature come in powdered form. Package them similarly in a recyclable material could also be another solution.

Are Wall Dispensers The Answer?

Aloft Seoul Gangnam
Please click on the photograph for a review of the Aloft Seoul Gangnam hotel property, which is where these wall dispensers were found. Photograph ©2014 by Brian Cohen.

You may check into your room and notice that the familiar miniature plastic toiletry bottles are missing. Rather, dispensers are installed on the walls in the bathroom.

Because there is only so much room on the walls of the bathroom — as well as for aesthetic reasons — instead of separate products for the shampoo and conditioner or for shampoo, liquid soap and body wash, they are combined as one product in a single dispenser.

Park Inn by Radisson Budapest
There was no more shampoo or soap in the dispenser in the shower — but I found out too late while I was already attempting to shower. Please click on the photograph for a review of the Park Inn by Radisson Budapest hotel property. Photograph ©2014 by Brian Cohen.

Another issue is that dispensers are not always replenished — especially if the dispenser is manufactured out of a translucent or opaque material with no clear indicator. This has happened to me more than once over the years whenever I attempted to take a shower. For example, once was at the Park Inn by Radisson Budapest hotel property, at which the dispenser mounted on the wall was clearly empty — unlike the other time at a Holiday Inn hotel property in Munich, at which a dispenser mounted on the wall was empty; but one could not determine whether it was full or empty due to the fact that it was opaque with no indicator.

The last thing I want to do is call housekeeping and wait until a member of the staff is good and ready to provide the product which I need to clean myself. I do not want to have to check if a wall dispenser has enough product whenever I want or need to use it.

Tru By Hilton Oklahoma City Airport
These dispensers were on the walls of the bathroom at the Tru by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport. Please click on the photograph for a review of this hotel property. Photographs ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Some wall dispensers are not easy to use at all — such as those at the Tru by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport, at which I stayed. Among other issues, I did not like how the product came out of the containers, as you have to squeeze both sides of the container itself for it to come out. Squeeze gently as instructed, and nothing happens; but too much came out when squeezing slightly less gently. Despite multiple attempts, I could not find a happy medium. The container is poorly designed overall.

Other potential issues with wall dispensers include — but are not limited to — the following, as wall dispensers:

  • May be empty when you attempt to use them, as they may not be refilled properly and in a timely manner
  • Can eventually malfunction — such as product not dispensing when pushing a button as one of many examples
  • May be more difficult to use due to inefficient or dysfunctional design — such as having to squeeze them hard simply to release product
  • May be more likely to contain counterfeit products as a way for hotel and resort properties to save money
  • Could potentially be breeding grounds for germs if they are not cleaned properly, as multiple people must touch them to use or refill them
  • May be filled with undesirable foreign ingredients by other guests — even where locks are in place but the wall dispensers are left unlocked anyway

Advantage: Wall Dispensers Versus Small Bottles and Tubes

The advantages of wall dispensers versus small bottles and tubes of toiletries and amenities include:

  • Less liquid product is wasted — guests can use as much or as little as desired
  • Reduced amount of trash in terms of the number of used plastic bottles, tubes and boxes which are disposed
  • Significantly more economical for each hotel and resort property as a measure of saving money
  • Less time for housekeeping to prepare the room
  • Small bottles and tubes already used by other people may not be replaced with fresh product; whereas the product inside of wall dispensers can be considered untouched by other people
  • More counter and sink space for guests
  • Wall dispensers contain more product for guests with long hair; while small bottles and tubes may not contain enough product

Advantage: Small Bottles and Tubes Versus Wall Dispensers

The advantages of small bottles and tubes of toiletries and amenities versus wall dispensers include:

  • Wall dispenser could be rendered useless if it falls off of the wall; is broken; or is simply not functional due to lack of proper maintenance
  • Dispensing product can be more difficult than necessary — such as pumping numerous times just to use enough product
  • Housekeeping staff must be called if wall dispenser was never refilled
  • Guests can potentially tamper with wall dispensers, depending on their designs
  • Potential contamination of germs with the number of people who use wall dispensers if they are not cleaned or disinfected properly
  • Guests can take small bottles or tubes of unused products with them, as they are convenient for traveling
  • Greater than ten million people benefited from the Clean the World Foundation, which integrates used soap — which would otherwise be discarded — and integrates it with a comprehensive water, sanitation and hygiene program
  • As with other environmental measures, wall dispensers are touted to guests as environmentally friendly when really the main focus may be to save the hotel or resort property money

Just Another Way to Reduce Costs For the Good of the Environment?

Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental
This wall dispenser is at the Holiday Inn Lisbon – Continental hotel property. Please click on the photograph for a review of this hotel property. Photographs ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

“Another question is whether or not we want our legislatures regulating and targeting industries”, according to this article written by Shelli Stein for Point Me To The Plane. “I’d rather see hotels step up to the sustainability plate on their own, as Marriott has already begun doing. Marriott has already announced plans to install bulk dispensers in 450 of its locations. Besides being a cost savings measure, the company estimates the change will cut its plastic consumption by 250 pounds per hotel, amounting to 113,000 pounds globally every year.”

She is correct. Marriott International, Incorporated already started switching to larger bottles situated in racks mounted on the walls of rooms in 450 hotel and resort properties at five different brands; and intended to expand to 1,500 hotel and resort properties in North America by January of 2019 — while InterContinental Hotels Group introduced bulk dispensers mounted on walls in the rooms of hotel and resort properties at four different brands last year.

As I first noted in this article which I wrote on Sunday, May 6, 2018 with regard to the initiative to save plastic as part of the Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction of Marriott to refresh sustainability and social impact efforts by 2025, “Environmentally, the program is expected to save an average of 250 lbs. of plastic per year for a 140-room hotel — approximately 23,000 plastic bottles.”, according to this article written by Robin McLaughlin of Lodging Magazine. “Replacing small plastic bottles with the dispenser also positively impacts owners’ bottom lines, saving between $1,000 to $2,000 per year.”

Are these lodging companies truly concerned about the environment — or are they using these initiatives simply to improve their financial bottom line? Perhaps the answer is both are true — and if so, is that wrong?

Summary

Protea Samrand
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

I am a believer in a number of issues: reducing the amount of intervention by governments whenever possible without reducing the efficacy of protecting consumers; ensuring that we conserve the consumption of products so that there is enough to go around for everyone; and protecting the environment as much as reasonably possible…

…but although dispensers attached to walls in the bathrooms of lodging establishments could work in some cases, I am opposed to that being the norm for the aforementioned reasons described in this article.

Once implemented, some people will choose to ignore the recycling options which I have proposed in this article; and that is to be expected. All I know is that I recycle whenever possible; and if lodging establishments put forth an effort to help recycling be as easy as throwing something in a trash can, then the majority of guests should theoretically use them with no problem.

As for toiletries in solid form: if a guest uses the product and likes it enough to keep it, that person can easily transport it home aboard an airplane, as it would not be subject to the limitations of liquids imposed at airport security checkpoints. Protecting them in a recyclable product which is both sealed and resistant to water would be a winning solution.

As I reported in this article on Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, 2018, thousands of bars of used soap — as well as small plastic bottles of toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, mouthwash and skin cream — can be discarded from one single hotel property daily; and wall dispensers could help to significantly reduce that waste. I also like the idea of helping people to whom cleanliness is considered a luxury, which is where the aforementioned Clean the World Foundation comes in.

Regardless of whether a hotel property uses wall dispensers or small bottles and tubes of amenities is not going to significantly affect my trip either way. All I care about when I am a guest in a hotel room is that I am clean, comfortable, relaxed and refreshed while I am traveling…

…but I personally would rather have the choice of whether or not I want the small containers of toiletries — as long as those containers are constructed of recyclable materials so that I may dispose of them properly when I am finished with them — but I am likely in the minority regarding that opinion.

Whether or not the state of California will have pioneered a legal trend which may spread to other states in the United States — as well as to other countries around the world — is yet to be seen…

…but thanks to this information which is posted in the Comments section below from Rich — who is a reader of The Gate — the bill still has to be passed by the state senate and signed by the governor before it becomes law in California…

All photographs ©2014, ©2015, ©2017, ©2018 and ©2019 by Brian Cohen.

  1. Though I agree that it’s likely, it’s not yet certain that this bill will become law. It’s been passed by the Assembly, but it still has to be passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor. You can track the progress on the “History” tab of the first page you link to. (Like every other state except Nebraska, California has a bicameral legislature and a process parallel to that of the federal government. To become law, a bill has to be passed by both houses of the Legislature and be signed by the Governor. The Assembly is just one house, the equivalent of the federal House of Representatives.)

    1. Thank you for the information, Rich. I appreciate it and have inserted corrections into the article.

  2. I applaud many airlines and hotels attempting to reduce plastics use and this is exactly how it should be: companies doing things voluntarily and being good environmental stewards. When it comes to this legislation it ignores the reality of no reasonable alternative for hotels offering mini toiletry items in hotels. Personally I find those large shampoo dispensers disgusting. So instead of using them I’m just going to buy my own mini plastic shampoo bottles at home and bring my own and throw them out when I leave the hotel. No plastic is saved. What about mouth wash? It is the same type of logic like Macron is using in France saying tax breaks for jet fuel should be ended to reduce emissions. That won’t save a single ounce of fuel as people fly because they have to not because they want to. There is no reasonable alternative.

    What a beautiful country this would be without the people (majority) of California in it. Earthquake, tsunami, whatever.

    1. The political anger in today’s America never ceases to amaze me. Here we are on a travel blog, specifically an article concerning changes involving the hospitality industry in California, and Mr. Rogers is compelled to announce that the USA would be better without some citizens.

      Unfortunately it seems apparent that Mr. Rogers, like so many other people, typed without doing his research. Please click on the link in the article in the paragraph (it may require two clicks) beginning: “Kalra — who represents parts of eastern San Jose …”, which takes you to the California Legislative Information page containing the actual text of the bill. There, Mr. Rogers, you’ll discover that the proposal prohibits the dissemination of those plastic bottles inside the room. For people like you, Mr. Rogers, you’ll additionally find out that the business establishment will still be able to provide you with single-use bottles as other sites of the business. I would guess the front desk.

      1. These are political issues that affect the hospitality industry and comes down to government mandating less freedom of choice, making general enjoyment of life more difficult. I’m not going to go prancing around to the front desk in the lobby at my 5 star hotel asking for mini shampoo bottles. The bill clearly hinders the free function of hotels and prevent them from making guests happy. If it were mini shampoo bottles it would be one thing but it’s not. Every facet of life is affected by the majority of people who live in California who seek to limit freedom and impose their will. If you don’t want political anger stop bad politics.

  3. Those crazy Californian Lefties. A state riddled with debt and poverty the likes of no other in the world.

    Recently on a visit to Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles, I saw homeless ghettos, slums, worse than a lot of the slums in Mumbai or Delhi and these absolute left Wing Loonie Clowns are worried about a few shampoo bottles. Really people? Really? Is this what you get paid for? Is this your mission in life?

    Just imagine in a few years those straight people in the governments can tell their grandkids what a great achievement they made to the state of California.

    “Did you put an end to homelessness grandad?” little Johnny will ask.
    Oh no Johnny. That was too hard.

    “OK then grandpa, did you help get rid of the massive debt you created because of your stupid undemocratic left wing policies?”
    Oh no Johnny, someone else can do that. That’s someone else’s problem.

    “Well what grandpa? Tell me. Tell me.”
    Well Johnny, I got rid of small plastic shampoo bottles from hotels and made it so inconvenient for people. Much more important Johnny than homeless bludgers and even more important than a spiraling out of control debt. So sorry Johnny that my actions relegated you to live in a third world economy but don’t you feel great we got rid of shampoo bottles from hotels.

    What the hell are these people on? Get a grip you clowns. An almighty self-imposed upper-cut to each and every one of you.

  4. I don’t have an issue with wall containers. 35 years ago I thought in my innocence that hotels did collect the bottles and reuse them. It is very wasteful. This is coming from someone that doesn’t believe in capping carbon emissions but who does believe in doing things that actually do create harm to the environment, for example wasting our resources. I also agree that recycling should be an answer. If in my my I came up with the answer 35 years ago before anyone cared about green issues, I don’t see why today, when people do care, that recycling can’t happen. If this change means that I can no longer get mouthwash in my hotel bathroom, I (and the people I meet that day) would be very upset!

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