Marriott International to Replace Single-Use Toiletries Globally

Marriott International is expanding its sustainability initiative by replacing small, single-use toiletry bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel with larger, pump-topped toiletry bottles.

To date, the company has already rolled out larger bottles at nearly 1,000 properties in North America, and now expects most of its other hotels to make the switch by December 2020. According to the brand, Marriott International's expanded toiletry program aims to prevent about 500 million tiny bottles annually from going to landfills, as well as reduce the current amenity plastic usage by 30 percent.

A typical large, pump-topped bottle contains the same amount of product as about 10 to 12 tiny, single-use bottles, giving guests the option to use as much product as needed. In addition to allowing guests more product, the larger bottles are also recyclable along with other basic containers, such as plastic soda bottles.

Marriott International first began replacing single-use toiletry bottles with larger bottles containing more product in the guest bathrooms of about 450 hotels in January 2018. Today, the nearly 1,000 hotels that have made the switch report positive feedback from guests. The company is now working on ways to reduce single-use items elsewhere in the guestroom.

This initiative serves to further Marriott International’s goals to reduce its environmental impact as part of its “Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction” platform that addresses social and environmental issues. As part of Serve 360, the company is working toward goals such as reducing landfill waste and responsibly sourcing product purchase categories by 2025.

The global shower amenities initiative comes 13 months after the company’s first global plastics-reduction initiative, which addressed disposable plastic straws. In July 2018, the company’s hotels began phasing out disposable plastic straws and stirrers and switching to an on-demand approach with alternative products. According to Marriott International, the company met its goal this July, resulting in an estimated annual diversion of 1 billion plastic straws from landfills.

This story originally appeared on www.luxurytraveladvisor.com

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