Long Island Sen. Todd Kaminsky announced a proposal this week that would prohibit hotels from providing patrons with single-use plastic toiletries. Instead, guests may see wall-mounted dispensers, multi-use bottles or non-plastic containers used.
It is estimated that hotels in New York City alone dispose of more than 25 million mini-plastic bottles each year.
Some hotel chains have already taken measures to eliminate the use of the single-use bottles, including Marriott and IGH, which owns Holiday Inn, Kimpton, and other hotel chains.
The proposed bill would ban “lodging establishments”, including hotels, motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts and holiday apartments, from offering small plastic bottles holding 340ml or under of product in rooms or public spaces.
The proposed legislation is expected to be evaluated by lawmakers early next year. California has already taken similar measures in hotels to reduce plastic waste.
"Little everyday actions, like eliminating small plastic bottles, will have a positive impact on our environment," Kaminsky said in a statement announcing the bill. "By barring hotels from giving single-use plastic toiletries to customers, we are safeguarding our environment, and mitigating plastic waste and waterway pollution."
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