In honor of Earth Day, and Earth Month, Groupe GM—an international leader in hotel guest amenities—addresses one of the hospitality sector’s biggest challenges: the environmental impact of waste.
The hospitality industry generates a startling 150 million tons of plastic waste annually, much of which comes from food and drink consumption, bathroom toiletries and laundry packaging. As modern travelers increasingly seek out hotels that prioritize sustainability, it is crucial for hospitality businesses to adopt eco-conscious solutions.
Hotels can make a meaningful difference by carefully selecting and optimizing the amenities they offer. Here are Groupe GM’s top recommendations for minimizing waste and plastic consumption in hospitality:
Tip #1: Use 0% plastic dry amenities
Amenities play a key role in enhancing the guest experience, and sustainability is also essential. Instead, invest in plastic-free dry amenities
A good choice is the 0% plastic accessories range from Groupe GM the only hotel amenities range verified by SGS as 0% plastic.
Crafted with bio-based, recyclable, and sustainable materials, the collection includes bamboo-made combs and toothbrushes, solid shaving soaps, innovative toothpaste pills, cotton buds and pads, a paper-based sewing kit adorned with a mother-of-pearl button, and slippers made from cotton canvas or strawboard.
Blending elegance with environmental care, these thoughtfully designed products cater to eco-conscious travelers who seek high-quality, sustainable solutions for their bathroom essentials.
Tip #2: Don’t forget the packaging
When selecting dry amenities, it is also important to consider their packaging. Groupe GM’s 0% Plastic line, for one, features packaging designed to reduce environmental impact, as all items in the range are wrapped in FSC paper bags that retain their natural color, free from bleaching chemicals, and are printed with soy-based ink.
This ensures that the packaging is fully recyclable while also minimizing the ecological footprint associated with conventional petroleum-based inks.
Tip #3: Choose larger formats for cosmetic amenities
Another effective way to reduce waste and enhance sustainability is by choosing large formats, such as Groupe GM’s Ecopump and Ghost solutions, offering an eco-conscious approach without compromising the guest experience. Crafted from plant-based materials or recycled plastic, these dispensers feature a completely sealed pump system, ensuring full traceability and transparency of origin.
For hotels looking to implement refillable liquid amenities, safety is paramount. Not all refills are created equal, and it is essential to choose solutions that prioritize hygiene and prevent contamination risks. This applies particularly to bulk refilling.
To address this, Groupe GM’s Ecofill system offers a secure, hygienic, and traceable alternative. Unlike traditional bulk refilling, Ecofill uses a dispenser bottle with visibility windows and sealed, recyclable pouches that are pierced by a cleanable drill pump. This eliminates the risk of cross-contamination from bulk jug refills while reducing plastic waste—97% less plastic compared to single-use products and 55% less than 5L jug refills.
Additionally, Ecofill has a 98% restitution rate, ensuring minimal product waste. Designed for efficiency, its intuitive, fast, and hassle-free system allows housekeeping staff to replace pouches in under 30 seconds, improving operational ease while maintaining strict hygiene and cosmetics regulations compliance.
Tip #4: Think Solid Toiletries
Further enhancing Groupe GM’s sustainable solutions are its solid toiletries with traditional soaps, shampoo, shower gel, and conditioner. These 100% plastic-free products use nine times less water in their production.
Among Groupe GM’s responsible initiatives, the group partners with the Unisoap association in France to collect traditional soaps from hotels and give them a second life through recycling for humanitarian purposes.
All these solutions are part of Groupe GM’s “Care About Earth” program, a pioneering program launched in 2018 to drive sustainable innovation in the hotel amenities industry. Sustainability is embedded in every stage of their product development, from material selection to end-of-life recyclability.
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