Plastic waste is a major problem worldwide, especially when it comes to single-use plastics.
Hotels are a big source of disposable plastics since they offer travel-sized toiletries that guests can take home. While it's a nice amenity, the plastic can really add up with so many small bottles.
In the r/Anticonsumption subreddit, one user shared a frustrating hotel experience where they found their toothpaste contained more plastic than actual product.
What happened?
The user shared a photo of a small white toothpaste, which seemed not to have much toothpaste, considering it's about the size of someone's pinky finger.
"(Not OC) This was posted to r/funny—toothpaste given by a hotel in Japan," the original poster said.
"There's like 4x as much plastic here as there is toothpaste," they added.
Commenters were just as outraged about the find.
"I get annoyed using Japanese products, the unnecessary single use plastic drives me mad," one commented. "Japan is known for very neat and aesthetically pleasing (to the eye but not environment) packaging and single use products. I believe in their culture they mainly do this for sanitary reasons. Ironically not very clean for the environment."
"Working in toothpaste, I know for a fact running a machine that could make tubes this tiny would be the biggest pain in the a**," another shared.
"What a waste," said someone else.
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Definitely 👍 Why is this important?
Single-use plastics have a negative impact on both people and the planet. As they enter our waterways and other places in the environment, they break down into microplastics and potentially get into drinking water and groundwater supplies. Since microplastics are so pervasive both in people's bodies and on the planet, the fact that many businesses still offer items in disposable plastics is concerning.
Plastics entangle or choke millions of sea animals each year, while disrupting fragile ocean habitats, according to National Geographic. They're also made primarily with dirty fuels, which add planet-warming pollution to the atmosphere.
Are companies doing anything about this?
It's unknown what hotel the user stayed at, so The Cool Down can't confirm what their plastic waste policies are. However, many hotels are phasing out single-use plastics by replacing toiletry bottles with large refillable dispensers, eliminating plastic straws, and offering water refills instead of bottled water.
For instance, one hotel in Copenhagen offers guests refillable shampoo bottles, bamboo toothbrushes, and razors. The Illinois state governor signed a new law banning hotels from providing personal toiletries in miniature bottles, and California, New York, and Washington have all implemented similar bans.
What's being done about single-use plastics more broadly?
Several states and nations worldwide have banned disposable plastics to some degree, including in the United Arab Emirates, which prohibited single-use plastic bags starting in 2024. India also banned several single-use products, including utensils, cups, and cigarette packs.
We can help keep our planet clean and green by using alternatives to plastic in daily life, such as canvas grocery bags instead of plastic, or reusable health and beauty products.
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