IHG® focuses on sustainability

Out for miniature bottles in hotel bathrooms

It's time to make a change! IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) is the first global hotel company to commit to banning miniature bottles from the bathrooms of its almost 843,000 rooms worldwide, setting an example in terms of sustainability. Instead of the small disposable containers, the company will in future provide large-format dispensers for soaps and lotions. The global changeover applies to all IHG brands and will be completed by 2021. The measure is part of the broad sustainability agenda to reduce plastic waste that IHG is implementing as one of the world's leading hotel companies.

"It is more important than ever that companies rise to the challenge of acting responsibly. Our internal and external stakeholders expect us to do the same," says Keith Barr, CEO of IHG. "The global switch from miniature to large bottles in over 5,600 hotels is a big step in the right direction and will enable us to significantly reduce our waste and environmental impact. We are already seeing great progress in this area: almost a third of our hotels have already implemented the change. We are proud to be leading our industry by making this a brand standard for every single IHG hotel. We are committed to sustainability and will continue to look for ways to make a positive contribution to the environment and our community."

There are currently around 200 million miniature bottles in use in IHG hotel bathrooms worldwide. As the new brand standard is adopted by 2021, the company expects a significant reduction in plastic waste. The initiative is part of a series of waste reduction measures by the IHG Group, including a commitment to remove plastic straws from all hotels by the end of 2019. IHG continues to be part of the FTSE4Good Index and recently joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Circular Economy 100 network. This underlines the Group's commitment to working with cross-industry partners to build a more sustainable world.

Joe Murphy, Head of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's CE100 said: "We welcome IHG Hotel Group's initiative to reduce plastic waste through this new measure. Establishing a circular economy will be a challenge, but together we can find solutions to prevent waste, keep materials in use and regenerate our environment."

Switching to bathroom dispensers is an approach that has proven successful at IHG. Whether for business or pleasure, hotel guests are increasingly looking for a sustainable stay without compromising on quality. Several IHG hotel brands are already meeting this demand and are receiving positive guest feedback on product quality and the wider range of products:


Quality guest experiences

- Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas offer bath products in refillable ceramic dispensers in the luxury segment, while Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants is already moving to larger containers.
- IHG hotel brands voco™ Hotels, EVEN® Hotels and avid™ have been offering large format containers since their launch and are working closely with suppliers to offer soap dispensers and products that are synonymous with quality.
- More than 1,000 Holiday Inn Express® hotels in North and South America have already made the switch, as have a number of Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® properties in the region.


No to single-use plastics

- In October 2018, IHG announced that it will remove single-use plastic straws from its hotels worldwide by the end of 2019. This new brand standard represents around 50 million straws that will no longer be used in IHG hotels. If you put them end to end, they would stretch from New York to Tokyo.
- The IHG brand voco™ Hotels was developed with a focus on sustainability and works with suppliers to offer comforters and pillows filled with 100% recycled materials. This measure equates to approximately 150 plastic bottles per guest room being saved from disposal.


Commitment to local communities

- Launched in partnership with the IHG Owners Association, the Renovation Donation Initiative is an industry-leading initiative that enables IHG hotels in the U.S. and Canada to donate furniture, fixtures and equipment to non-profit organizations such as United Way Worldwide and Good360 as part of renovations.
Reducing waste for a sustainable future
- The IHG Green Engage™ system is an established online sustainability program that identifies opportunities for IHG branded hotels worldwide to manage waste more effectively. The programme also provides information on how hotels can manage, store, recycle and dispose of waste both on and off site to minimize environmental impact and costs.
- Several IHG hotels have partnered with technology company Winnow to automatically track, measure and reduce food waste to make restaurant and bar operations more sustainable and efficient. Winnow's award-winning AI-enabled technology will help IHG hotels reduce food waste by 30%.

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