Marriott bans single-use toiletry bottles worldwide
Marriott International will expand its initiative to replace tiny, single-use toiletry bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel in guestroom showers with larger, pump-topped bottles across all its properties worldwide.
To date, the company has already rolled out larger bottles at about 1000 properties in North America, and now expects most of its other hotels to make the switch by December 2020.
When fully implemented across the globe, Marriott International’s expanded toiletry program is expected to prevent about 500 million tiny bottles annually from going to landfills – a 30 per cent annual reduction from current amenity plastic usage.
“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, president and CEO of Marriott International.
“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.”
Already, over a fifth of Marriott International’s more than 7000 properties now offer larger-pump-topped bottles in guestroom showers, doing away with single-use bottles that often end up in landfills.
In 2018 Marriott International switched single-use shower toiletry bottles to larger bottles with pump dispensers in five brands: Courtyard by Marriott, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn, Fairfield by Marriott and TownePlace Suites. In addition, four of Marriott International’s brands – Aloft Hotels, Element by Westin, Four Points and Moxy Hotels, previously implemented the pump-dispenser toiletry concept, while a fifth – AC by Marriott – is well on its way to making the change.
The global shower amenities initiative comes 13 months after the company’s first global plastics-reduction initiative, which addressed disposable plastic straws.
Sheridan Randall, 30th August 2019
