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Out with the little bottles of shampoo, lotion and body wash. In with the containers that can be refilled by housekeeping staff in hotels. It is a concept that has been gaining traction as more hotels take up the mantle of sustainability and eco-friendliness.
Now, Maine is working to add itself to the list of states that outlaw those single use containers. According to Green Lodging News, if the bill (known as the Maine Legislature (LD 1928) is passed, Maine will join at least four other states (New York, California, Illinois and Washington) that have phased out, or are in the process of phasing out, single-use plastic amenity bottles.
Under the definition of the bill, those subject to the new law would be hotels, motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, inns, time-share properties, short-term rentals and vacation rentals.
There’s plenty of time for properties to adjust; the legislation, if passed, would take effect beginning on Jan. 1, 2030, and toiletry items in bottles under six ounces would become a thing of the past.
A few of the fine points of the bill include the following:
- Locations with 12 or fewer units would be exempt
- In 2032, the ban will expand to lodging establishments with fewer than 50 rooms
- The bill does not restrict the use of plastic refillable containers for personal health or beauty products
- It also does not restrict the use of single-use personal health or beauty product containers, bottles, wrappers or packaging that are not made with plastic
- The bill could eliminate as many as 73 million single-use plastic bottles per year from Maine’s waste stream, said a proponent.
- The Maine Department of Environmental Protection would enforce the ban. It said in written testimony that it would treat the ban as a “complaint-based program” similar to how it enforces the state’s ban on single-use plastic bags by retailers.
- For hotels that do not comply, a civil violation will be issued with a $100 fine.
But no legislation comes without pushback.
"We're opposed to this effort to ban the single-use shampoo bottles. I think a lot of guests that are coming to Maine to stay in our great state expect to have safe, clean bottles provided to them," Nate Cloutier of Hospitality Maine said.
And, noted Glenn Hasek, the publisher of Green Lodging News, “One representative went so far as to say that visitors may choose not to go to Maine because of the plastic bottle restrictions. Ahem, I really doubt that.”
The votes have been close, though. The Maine House of Representatives voted 72 to 70 and the Maine Senate voted 17 to 15 to advance the bill. There will be additional votes in each chamber before LD 1928 is sent to Governor Janet Mills for her consideration.
Rep. Lori Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, is the bill’s sponsor. She said the bill, if passed, would be an important step forward in Maine’s efforts to reduce plastic waste.
“This legislation is not just about eliminating small plastic bottles—it’s about embracing a future where businesses contribute positively to the environment and operate with sustainability in mind,” Gramlich said in written testimony.
Already, large hotel chains have gotten on board with the movement and implemented it in their properties nationwide. "We have long been focused on our residential amenities program, switching from small toiletry bottles to larger, pump-topped bottles as part of our commitment to reduce plastic waste," a Marriott Hotels spokesperson told one media outlet.
Although they are plastic, the small toiletry bottles can’t be recycled (hence the term, single-use). It’s why environmentally conscious companies are moving away from their use (and why environmental groups are campaigning against them).
"This is a small step we can take to get some of the plastic out of our waste stream. We cannot recycle our way out of the plastic crisis," Sarah Woodbury from Defend Our Health told reporters at WMTW. "It's something that's going to keep happening and happening."
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