by: Tamir Montalto & JJ Singh
Do you remember the movie the Graduate from 1967? Setting aside all of the tawdry twists and turns of Dustin Hoffman’s character arc, one of the most famous lines is about… Plastics. In fact, the quote about plastics is the 42nd best movie quote in movie history, according to the American Film Institute. If you’ve got 30 seconds, you can see the clip below.
The lesson, that plastics were the future, was prophetic. Light, durable, inexpensive, and strong, plastics are a part of everything we use on a daily basis. So pervasive is plastic, that it’s becoming a problem. Not all of it can be recycled, and much of it ends up in landfills and in our seas. According to some estimates, 5 million to 12 million metric tons of this non-biodegradable waste ends up in the ocean each year, creating significant disruptions to our environment and food chain.
Reducing the use of plastic is a top concern for our environmental sustainability. In the past, the hotel industry had focused more on water usage. By encouraging guests to reuse towels and linen, a significant amount of water could be saved. You’ve seen the signs—they’ve become common in most hotel rooms and bathrooms.
Recently, hotels have started to address plastic waste, head on. The Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), which has brands such as Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza, will eliminate all miniature bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and use bulk-sized amenities. On average, over 200 million bathroom miniatures are used across IHGs hotels every year. A third of IHG’s 5,600+ hotels have already made the change, with the rest slated to complete the transition by 2021. Additionally, they’ve begun a campaign to eliminate plastic straws.
Other companies have made strides as well. For example, in 2017, Marriott launched its sustainability initiative called Serve 360. By 2025, they plan to reduce water intensity by 15%, carbon intensity by 30%, landfill waste by 45%, and food waste by 50%. In 2018, Hilton announced that it would cut its environmental footprint in half and double its social impact investment by 2030. Choice’s Room to be Green program also has similar targets.
These initiatives may not be enough to stem the tide—plastic is an important and ubiquitous material. But one thing is for sure, it’s not 1967 anymore.
