How Hotels Can Reduce Single-Use Plastic Packaging

Where hotels use single-use plastic

A hotel can hand out thousands of disposable items every day. Straws and stirrers at pool bars and lobby bars, cups and lids for room service and coffee stations, cutlery for banquets and buffets, takeaway containers, minibar items and bottled water all add up. Because guests handle these items directly, they are also the most visible part of a property sustainability program.

Resort operators, restaurant managers and purchasing teams usually ask the same questions: what can we replace first, what will guests and staff think, and what will it cost across our outlets?

Step 1: Audit what you use

Start with a simple inventory by outlet: pool and beach bars, restaurants, banquet and events, room service, lobby cafe and minibars. Record item, annual quantity, supplier and cost. This shows where the volume sits and which items are easiest to change.

Most properties find that a few categories, typically straws, cups and lids, and cutlery, account for most of the single-use count.

Step 2: Eliminate, reuse, then replace

The best plastic is the plastic you do not use. Offer straws on request, serve dine-in drinks in glassware and use refillable amenity dispensers where practical. For everything that still needs to be single-use, such as pool areas, takeaway and events, choose a certified alternative to conventional plastic.

Step 3: Choose replacement products

Step 4: Confirm certifications and disposal

Guest-facing claims must match the documentation. Our materials are tested by TÜV Austria and each certificate covers specific products and conditions. Ask for the certificate for each item, and check which disposal route your property can support, whether that is commercial composting through a hauler, on-site composting or general waste where no composting exists.

Train staff to place used items in the right stream and add simple signage so guests do too. Biodegradable items should never be littered on beaches or grounds.

Step 5: Pilot, measure and scale

Choose one outlet, such as the pool bar or breakfast restaurant, and run a pilot for several weeks using samples. Track breakage, leaks, guest feedback and staff handling. Compare cost per cover or per drink with your current items, then expand outlet by outlet and property by property.

Standardizing across a group reduces complexity and supports volume pricing.

Communicating the change

Tell guests what you changed and why, in plain language. Mention the material and, where certified, the standard that applies, without claiming more than the certificate supports. Include the change in sustainability reports and brand standards so it persists through staff turnover.

Benefits of evaluating alternative packaging

Hotels evaluate alternatives for several reasons. Guests, tour operators and corporate travel buyers increasingly ask about sustainability practices. Brand standards and local regulations may restrict certain single-use plastics. Sustainability reports need concrete actions with measurable results, and replacing guest-facing disposables provides exactly that.

There is also an operational benefit. A single supplier able to cover straws, stirrers, cups, lids, utensils and bottles from one catalog simplifies purchasing across outlets and properties, and makes it easier to standardize specifications across a brand.

Hotel packaging questions

A sample roadmap for a hotel group

Larger groups can structure the work in phases. This keeps the program manageable and gives each property a clear role.

Measuring results and sustaining the change

Track the number of single-use items replaced by outlet and by category, the change in spend and any waste-diversion data from your hauler. Share the results with outlet managers so they can see the effect of their efforts and spot items that still need attention.

Sustain the change by writing the specifications into purchasing standards and onboarding materials, so new staff and new properties follow the same approach. Review product options each year, because new items and certifications continue to appear and guest expectations keep moving.

Start your hotel packaging review

Read about sustainable hotel packaging, including product sets and FAQs, or explore the full PHA packaging solutions hub. When you know your items and volumes, request wholesale pricing or product samples and our team will recommend a pilot suited to your property.