New York Bans Single-Use Plastic Personal Care Products in Hotels

Hotels in the state of New York will begin phasing out small single-use bottles of conditioner, shampoo, moisturizer and body wash as a new state-wide ban begins January 1, 2025 for hotels with more than 50 rooms. 

Smaller hotels with 50 rooms or fewer will have until 2026 to comply with the new state-wide regulation. According to the New York Senate bill, hotels will be fined $250 for their first violation of noncompliance, and $500 for every violation after during the same year as the first violation.

According to the Times Union, the state had wanted to begin the single-use plastics ban in the hospitality industry in 2023 and 2024, but the pandemic delayed it. The regulation bans plastic bottles of 12 ounces or less and applies to hotels, motels and other accommodations.

The ban is estimated to save 27 million plastic bottles used in New York City hotels alone. The state’s official hospitality and tourism association estimates that about 75 percent of hotels in the state are already using reusable alternatives. 

New York State is currently undergoing efforts to reduce single-use plastics across the state, with new laws, such as the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, being proposed this year. 

It joins the state of California in its single-use plastic hotel toiletry ban. The state banned single-use plastic toiletry bottles back in 2023, with Los Angeles International Airport going so far as to ban the sale of plastic water bottles, instead installing more water fillup stations throughout the major hub. 

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