The state of California has been leading the way in the banning of single-use plastics in the US, becoming the first state to ban plastic bags and straws in 2014. Now the governor, Gavin Newsom, has signed a bill that bans hotels from supplying travel-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner.
This move is an effort to reduce the number of plastic items being discarded by hotel staff and guests.
The bill which comes into effect in 2023, will apply to hotels with more than 50 rooms. Smaller establishments will need to phase out the tiny bottles by 2024.
Hotels that are found breaking the rules will be subject to fines. According to the bill, the first violation will result in a written warning and a $500 fine (about R7,300) for each day the establishment remains in violation. Any subsequent violations will incur a $2,000 fine (about R30,000).
Some hotels have already decided to move away from disposables bottles, including Marriott International, which announced in 2018 that it would replace mini bottles with dispensers by December 2020. According to NBC News, ‘IHG, which owns Holiday Inn, Kimpton and other brands, said it will eliminate about 200 million small bottles by 2021’.
Image: Flickr
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