California Hotels May Soon Have to Get Rid of Plastic Toiletry Bottles

Those small plastic bottles of soap and shampoo you use at hotels often result in large amounts of waste. California lawmakers want to change that.

Lawmakers are pushing for a new bill in California that would require all hotels and lodging businesses to replace small toiletry bottles with dispensers in what is called the Assembly Bill (AB) 1162. Their intent is to reduce the amount of waste that is put in California landfills.

Ash Kalra, a co-author of AB 1162, told Tech Times, “By not offering small bottles of personal care products, hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments can promote a more sustainable business and potentially reduce operating costs.”

“AB 1162 will take meaningful action to curb single-use plastic consumption in the lodging industry and increase consumer awareness.”

Santa Cruz County adopted a similar law in 2018, and many hotel chains have already made the move to dispensers to reduce costs and prevent plastic waste. Last year, Marriott International announced a plan to use dispensers versus small bottles which will prevent 23,000 plastic bottles from going to landfills every year.

AB 1162 is currently under review by California state legislature’s different committees. With California as one of the leading states in the U.S. to push eco-friendly and green initiatives, we wouldn’t be surprised if this law is passed soon.