Plaine Products is partnering with hotels and short-term vacation rentals to offer refillable options for personal care products. This is a positive step in reducing plastic waste in the hospitality industry by eliminating the need for single-use plastic containers such as shampoo and conditioner bottles, and soap packages! It also offers a wonderful guest experience, thanks to clean ingredients and salon-quality products.
According to sustainability and plastics expert Marissa Jablonski, “a single 200-room four-star hotel can use about 300,000 pieces of single-use plastic in a month if it is at full capacity.” 
The estimate includes 20,000 plastic water bottles, 49,765 plastic amenities and amenity packages, 216,693 pieces of plastic for food and beverage operations, including plastic wrap, storage bags, and latex gloves, and 13,375 plastic bags. The number does not even include plastic laundry bags used by third-party services to protect laundered clothing for staff and guests. Or bags used by food suppliers. With the significant amount of possible plastic waste generated by hotels, it’s clear that there is a need for more sustainable alternatives.
Reuse and Refill in Rentals and Hotels
“We have been thrilled to see the number of Airbnbs, VRBOs, property management companies, and boutique hotels that have been reaching out to us 
looking help reducing plastic waste,” says CEO and cofounder Lindsey McCoy. “We are working with these companies in a variety of ways,” says McCoy. For single rental units, we follow our traditional model of sending full bottles as refills and taking back empty bottles to be reused.
For larger boutique hotels and property management operations we can provide bottles to be refilled on-site with our bulk buckets (which can also be returned to be reused). We also offer bulk refill options for hotels with shower-mounted dispensers. Our interest is in making it as easy as possible to use less single-use plastic personal care items in the hospitality industry. We have added hospitality options to our wholesale program.
“As a property manager overseeing multiple Airbnbs and hosting numerous guests, guest experience is crucial to us. However, the increasing waste generated by traditional shampoos and packages has raised concerns. I have been moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle personally and in my business. I believe that your hair & body wash can help us make a significant difference.”
There are governmental efforts being made that will help in reducing plastic waste in hospitality. Thanks to CA Assembly Bill 1162 as of January 1st, 2023, Californian hotels with more than 50 rooms will cease to provide guests with personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, or soap in single-use plastic containers. The measure will roll out to smaller establishments in 2024 and hopefully set an example for other states to follow as they move towards more eco-friendly alternatives.
