If you’re used to using the small bottles of lotion and shampoo that hotels provide for free, you might not be happy about this news.
Starting in 2025, all hotels in New York with more than 50 rooms can no longer give guests these small bottles. Hotels with 50 rooms or fewer have until 2026 to follow this new state law. The goal is to reduce waste.
Governor Kathy Hochul signed this law in 2021. It was supposed to start in 2023 and 2024, but it got delayed because hotel owners still had a lot of these single-use bottles left over from the pandemic.
The ban is part of a bigger plan to cut down on plastic waste. Hotels can’t use bottles that hold 12 ounces or less for things like conditioner, shampoo, body wash, and lotion anymore.
Big hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott have already switched to using shared dispensers instead of these small bottles. Hotels that haven’t made the switch yet need to get rid of their bottles by January 1, 2025.
Smaller hotels have until January 1, 2026, to follow the new rules.
California has a similar ban that started in 2023. Washington state will start theirs in 2027 and 2028. Illinois might be the next state to make these rules.
Even though some people might not like the idea of not having these small bottles in hotels anymore, the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association supports the change.
Mark Dorr, who runs the association, says most hotels in the state already use reusable bottles. What do you think about hotels not using these single-use plastic bottles anymore? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
