Say goodbye to miniature cosmetics in hotels

If you like collecting hotel cosmetics as souvenirs of your holiday trips, you might get disappointed by what follows. 

A recent European Commission’s proposal foresees a ban on miniature cosmetics products in hotels and other packaging formats in hospitality such as individual tomato sauce. The proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste rightly aims to reduce the volume of packaging waste and boost the use of reusable packaging.  

If miniature shampoo or body lotion aren’t mandatory in hotel rooms, sanitary products on demand are a ‘must’ in all hotel categories. Clients should be able to grab amenities from the reception in case of need. 

While the hospitality industry is committed to play its part in the green transition, questions remain on alternatives to individual toiletry products and the various implications in terms of hygiene standards for refill and staff workload, consumer’s choice and satisfaction and the reputation of the hotel industry in Europe versus the rest of the world.  

HOTREC is engaging with industry stakeholders and policy makers to defend the interest of the hospitality sector. Negotiations between EU member states and the European Parliament will start this year.