Photo Credit: Lotte Hotel

Luxury hotel L7 in Chicago has found a smart way to prevent upwards of 97,000 plastic bottles from going into the trash, according to Hotel Dive. 

Dedicated filtration systems have been installed in every room to provide clean, drinkable water. 

By including extra drinking stations in the lobby and plenty of reusable bottles, the hotel has been able to avoid plastic water bottles altogether. The filters only cost about $15 per faucet, making it an economical choice for the business as well. 

Some states, like New York and Illinois, have already had their eyes on sustainability in hospitality. They have banned the use of single-use plastics in toiletries. 

Meanwhile, some national governments, like Bali’s, have banned the use of plastic water bottles in regional agencies, state-owned enterprises, and schools. It’s good to see private businesses taking this step without the need for legislation.  

Beverage bottles are among the most commonly disposed of pieces of plastic waste. Not only do these wreak havoc on ocean ecosystems, but they’re also bad for human health in a few ways. For one, plastics inside water bottles break apart and find their way inside you when you take a sip. Second, the plastics that make it into the ocean are sometimes ingested by fish that we often eat. 

Cutting out plastics wherever we can is good news for both the environment and our health. L7 Chicago was hopeful that its filtration systems could push the industry as a whole in the same direction. 

“While this amenity might not be the first thing guests seek out in their hotel experience, it should be the first amenity other hotels seek to include for their guests,” said a hotel spokesperson, per Hotel Dive. “The most common feedback the hotel has received since opening is about how much people love the amenities.”

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