California Bill Targets Tiny Toiletries

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Ever on the forefront of environmentally-friendly legislation, California has introduced a bill to ban small plastic bottles in hotels and resorts.

Assembly Bill 1162 would see the establishments replacing the tiny toiletries will bottles and dispensers larger than 12 ounces in an effort to cut down on single-use plastic products by January 1, 2023, reports Calmatters.

Lodgings found in violation would be subject to citations and penalties up to $2,000.

“We are addicted to plastic as a society,” the bill’s author, Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), told the publication. “I do hope my colleagues view this as a common sense piece of legislation that once again puts us forward as leaders when it comes to trying to reduce our plastic consumption and leaders on issues of the environment.”

Related: [update] California Moves to Ban 'Harmful' Cosmetic Ingredients

The bill is facing pushback from some in the personal care industry. In a letter of opposition, the Personal Care Products Council commented on the potential missed sales opportunities: “AB 1162 will impact personal care product manufacturers significantly, including small and medium sized companies that may be re-packers or distributers. These companies may purchase the product, re-package it and then in some cases license the brand names for use in hotels or lodging establishments.”

There have, however, already been shifts at the corporate level—in April 2018, Marriott International rolled out dispensers in nearly 500 North American hotels, claiming the switch will save more than 23,000 small bottles, or 250 pounds of plastic, per year.

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