Hawaii Wants to Ban Complimentary Toiletries in Hotels
The Hawaii Legislature is looking at options to curb pollution driven by tourism. One of those options is a bill that would require hotels to provide toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, and soap in bulk dispensers instead of single-use plastic bottles.
The proposed bill would prohibit hotels with 50 or more beds from handing out personal care products in small plastic bottles in 2024. Then in 2025 the rule would apply to all hotels.
“As a notable tourism destination here in Hawaii, we also really have an opportunity to kind of put our money where our mouth is when we talk about how important the environment is and how Hawaii wants to engage and more sustainable tourism,” Rep. Nicole Lowen (D) chair of the House Energy & Environmental Protection committee said, as reported by KHON2. Lowen is one of the sponsors of the bill and she says the industry is already beginning to adopt these practices on its own.
Marriott and Hyatt have already pledged to phase out plastic bottles worldwide and Holiday Inn is also moving away from single-use plastic bottles.
