Hotels with 50 or more rooms must comply by 1 July 2025, while hotels with fewer than 50 rooms have until 1 January 2026 to implement the changes. / Credit: PICTOR PICTURES/Shutterstock

Hotels in the US State of Illinois will soon face restrictions on offering small single-use plastic bottles of personal care products to guests, following the introduction of the Small Single-Use Plastic Bottle Act (HB4639) by Representative Kam Buckner.

The legislation, passed by the state’s 103rd General Assembly, aims to reduce plastic waste by phasing out these items in hotel rooms and shared guest bathrooms starting in 2025.

Timeline for phasing out single-use plastic bottles

Under the Act, hotels with 50 rooms or more must stop providing small single-use plastic bottles—defined as containers holding less than 6 ounces of shampoo, conditioner, or bath soap—to guests by 1 July 2025.

Smaller hotels, those with fewer than 50 rooms, will need to comply by 1 January 2026.

The rules cover guest rooms and any bathrooms shared by the public or guests, with the goal of encouraging hotels to adopt refillable or larger dispensers instead of individual plastic bottles.

Provisions and exemptions within the new law

The legislation allows hotels to supply small single-use plastic bottles upon request at locations outside sleeping rooms or shared bathrooms, such as reception desks, without violating the Act.

It also prevents local governments from enacting ordinances or rules prohibiting hotels from offering such bottles, establishing uniform statewide regulations on the matter.

This preemption clause limits the ability of municipalities to set stricter or conflicting rules, centralising authority with the state.

Penalties for non-compliance and enforcement details

Hotels found violating the ban will initially receive a written warning. A second or subsequent offence could result in a civil penalty of $500 per violation.

The Attorney General, State’s Attorneys, or municipal attorneys are empowered to enforce these penalties by filing actions in circuit court. The Attorney General’s office is expected to develop specific rules clarifying enforcement responsibilities among state and local legal authorities ahead of the law’s implementation.

The measure aligns Illinois with a growing trend among US states and cities aiming to cut plastic pollution in the hospitality sector, responding to mounting concerns over single-use plastics’ environmental impact.

By encouraging alternatives such as bulk dispensers or reusable containers, the state hopes to reduce waste generated by the millions of hotel stays each year.

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