New York State is set to introduce new legislation banning hotels from offering small bottles of hospitality care products such as shampoo and conditioner, in an effort to reduce waste. The ban will come into effect in January 2025 for hotels with over 50 rooms, while all hotels in the state will be subject to the rule by 2026.
The legislation defines “hospitality personal care product” as a product provided by a hotel and intended to be applied to or used on the human body for cleansing, conditioning, or moisturizing purposes. This includes shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and liquid soap. Some hotels in New York have already started providing these products in dispensers instead of individual bottles.
This move is part of a broader effort by New York officials to reduce carbon emissions and plastic waste. In 2023, pizzerias using coal or wood-burning ovens were told to cut their carbon emissions by 75 percent or face fines. Businesses with ovens dating before 2016 may need to install expensive air filtration systems to meet the new requirements.
New York also led the nation in banning natural gas and other fossil fuels in new buildings, as well as implementing a ban on single-use plastic bags in stores in 2020. Customers now have to use their own reusable bags or purchase paper ones for a five-cent fee. However, customers using food stamps are exempt from this bag tax.
Although the bag ban aims to reduce plastic waste, Breitbart News reported on a loophole in a similar plastic bag ban law in Hawaii that allowed plastic bags to be used if they were made of slightly heavier gauge plastic. Some critics argue that reusable cotton bags may not be as environmentally friendly as initially thought due to the energy and water required for their production and maintenance.
As New York continues to implement new environmental regulations, it is likely that other states will follow suit in an effort to reduce waste and curb carbon emissions.