Marriott hotel chains to ban single-use plastic toiletries

Marriott, one of the world’s largest hotel chains, has announced it is to stop providing toiletries in single-use plastic bottles.

In a bid to reduce waste caused by the packaging, Marriott, which has 7,000 properties worldwide and includes the brands Sheraton, Westin and Ritz-Carlton, will bring in the changes by December 2020.

The company estimates the move will keep 1.7 million pounds of plastic or about 500 million tiny bottles, from ending up in rubbish dumps each year.

Shower gel, shampoo and conditioner will be provided in rooms by refillable dispensers.

Last year Mariott began a small-scale trial of the bulk toiletry dispensers, and stopped using plastic straws and stirrers.

According to The Telegraph the company aims to reduce its landfill waste by 45 per cent and responsibly source its top 10 product purchase categories, including guest amenities, by 2025.

“This is our second global initiative aimed at reducing single-use plastics in just over a year, which underscores how important we believe it is to continuously find ways to reduce our hotels’ environmental impact. It’s a huge priority for us,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s chief executive.

“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.”