In a move that's sure to be mirrored by countless more, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced that it will cease using mini plastic toiletries in an effort to reduce plastic waste. Instead, all hotel rooms will be installed with bulk-sized toiletries in the bathrooms of its 843,000 rooms by 2021.
The American-based company owns multiple hotel brands including the likes of Holiday Inn, InterContinental and Crowne Plaza found across the globe.
Already, more than 1,000 Holiday Inn Express hotels as well as the group's environmentally focused Six Senses hotels across the States have made the switch to bulk dispensers.
“It’s more important than ever that companies challenge themselves to operate responsibly – we know it’s what our guests, owners, colleagues, investors and suppliers rightly expect,” said IHG CEO Keith Barr.
“Switching to larger-size amenities across more than 5,600 hotels around the world is a big step in the right direction and will allow us to significantly reduce our waste footprint and environmental impact as we make the change.”
IHG, along with fellow hotel groups Marriott International and Peninsula, previously pledged to remove plastic straws from all its hotels by 2019. This represents an average of 50 million plastic straws removed each year, enough to stretch from New York to Tokyo, said IHG.
