SJ Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Ban Plastic Bottles In Lodging

SAN JOSE, CA — Those annoying little plastic bottles found in hotel rooms that clutter landfills or worse yet the Pacific Ocean may soon see their last drop of waste come to an end.

A California assemblyman from the South Bay has introduced a bill, AB1162, to prohibit a lodging establishment from providing the personal care products in any sleeping accommodation in the state. If passed and signed, the law brought forth by Assemblyman Ash Kalra, (D-San Jose) would take effect in the state on Jan. 1, 2023.

The proliferation of plastic waste is having a devastating impact on our environment. To Kalra, providing a few uses of these small shampoos, conditioners, body lotions among others is not worth havoc they raise in the environment. Even without the plastic clogging up the environment, their toxins are released during decomposition that further pollutes soil and water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Inventory found that the significant amounts of toxic chemicals from plastics released into the environment include trichloroethane, acetone, methylene chloride, methyl ethyl ketone, styrene, toluene, and benzene.

"It's about the accumulation. We have to start tackling this issue," Kalra told Patch.

The San Jose area legislator realizes there's criticism behind his going to this effort, but he believes the effort of maintaining a pristine environment in California is a worthwhile goal that has to start somewhere. After all, there's only one planet humans may reside in for now.

"They'll say: 'Why don't you handle other problems,'" he declared. To that, he counters with the collective quantity of what appearing to be a small problem growing exponentially.

"Half a billion bottles put out is not a small problem," he said.

Kalra expects resistance and pushback "whenever there is change," but he's optimistic he'll get enough votes to at least do his part in an ever-growing fight of protecting the environment.

Traveling is intended to be a way of appreciating nature and one's surroundings — not a way of trashing it.

According to the California Employment Development Department, there are 9,510 traveler
accommodations in the state that include hotels, motels and other short-term lodging. Countless amounts of small plastic personal care products are thrown away each day.

Hotels have already started to recognize the benefits of wall-mounted dispensers or supplying the rooms with larger bottles to attracting the eco-conscience traveler. Hotel chains including Marriott, Holiday Inn Express and Kimpton have already announced they are planning to phase out tiny bottles of personal care products like shampoo and conditioner. Boutique hotels have led the pack.

Additionally, Santa Cruz County became the first jurisdiction to ban hotels and other lodging
establishments from providing small plastic bottles of personal care products in its effort to address the growing problem of plastic debris hindering public health and the environment.