Daily Herald opinion: Illinois ban on single-use plastic hotel toiletry bottles the right move

Those tiny little bottles of lotion, shampoo and conditioner that travelers have found and used for decades in hotel bathrooms — and often toted home as free souvenirs — will soon be banned in Illinois hotels thanks to a measure recently signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

And that’s a good thing.

The Small Single-Use Plastic Bottle Act requires hotels with 50 or more rooms to drop the use of small, single-use plastic bottles containing shower gel and the like by July 1, 2025. Six months later, hotels with less than 50 rooms will have to do the same.

Many hotel chains have already started replacing the bottles with larger, refillable dispensers. They’re convenient, practical and much more eco-friendly.

Marriott International started the process at its hotels a few years ago, estimating it would keep about 500 million small plastic bottles out of landfills each year.

Let that number, from a single albeit large chain, sink in. Then, do the math on other chains, independents and cozy boutique hotels.

Those cute little bottles add up to a big ugly problem.

“We need to take the steps that we can now to prevent our state from adding to the rise in plastic pollution nationwide and help people to be more mindful of the daily waste attributed to single-use plastic.” Sen. Laura Fine, a Glenview Democrat and one of the bill’s sponsors, said when the measure passed.

Joining other states, including New York and California, in banning the bottles is the right move for Illinois — one that will keep a ridiculous amount of plastic waste from winding up in landfills or elsewhere, including our precious waterways.

Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President of External Affairs, Jeff Watters, an Illinois native, is one of many who hailed the bill’s passage.

“Plastic pollution that ends up in our rivers and the Great Lakes ultimately feed into the ocean,” he said. “With tens of millions of visitors staying in Illinois hotels every year, this bill will significantly reduce plastic production and pollution. We are glad to see Illinois take this critical step and hope that other states will follow suit.”

We hope so too. After all, banning the bottles is a simple, sensible step to protect our environment and vital natural resources. The change is already under way, and not just in “blue” states like Illinois and California. Here’s hoping that the next time we travel — driving to a nearby state or jetting off to an alluring beach locale — we spot dispensers and not those tempting little bottles.

Sure, they may be iconic — and oh-so easy to slip into your carry-on before you check out — but they are a true waste.

Eliminating them makes a world of sense.