California officially bans single-use amenities in hotels
By 2023, California hotels will have to pay a fine of up to $2,000 for distributing single-use amenities to hotel guests.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law into effect Wednesday, Oct. 9, which will be implemented in 2023 for hotels with more than 50 rooms, and by 2024 for boutique hotels with less than 50 rooms.
Assembly Bill 1162, which requires that hotels, motels, resorts, bed & breakfasts, and vacation rentals replace small single-use bottles of less than 12 ounces with bulk dispensers that could be used by multiple people, passed the Natural Resources committee back in April of this year. The bill was modeled on a 2018 city ordinance implemented by Santa Cruz.
The bill's author, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, said, "The amount of plastic produced is increasing exponentially, and we must consider all options to reduce this pollution from entering our waste streams. While it may not appear to be a problem on an individual level, small plastic bottles that are less than 12-ounces represent a sizable amount of waste collectively that the state must address."
Many large hotel chains are already putting programs in place to reduce waste and be more eco-friendly. Marriott has announced that it plans to install bulk dispensers in 450 of its properties. The company estimates that it could save around 113,000 pounds of plastic worldwide every year.
The state of New York is also considering a similar ban on single-use hotel amenities.
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