It’s part and parcel of the hotel experience, right? Snarfing up the available (and often replenished) miniature toiletries to transport home, become frustrated with and chuck in a stocking come Christmas time. It’s tradition!

Well, the European Union could put an end to this cycle by banning hotels from distributing miniature toiletries to guests in an effort to reduce packaging waste and encourage a system of reusing and refilling products. 

In a proposal submitted to the European Parliament and Council, the European Commission has set forth a series of changes, including a complete EU-wide ban on the distribution of miniature toiletries. 

While the proposal is still under consideration, the move comes as the European Commission works to reduce packaging waste by 15% by 2040 per Member State per capita, compared to 2018. This means hotels will either provide guests with larger, refillable toiletries or expect patrons to bring their own.

The mammoth change would stretch beyond your hotel room – restaurants in the European Union would be banned from serving single-use packaged food and drink inside establishments too. 

Working towards a greener, more efficient and circular economy was always going to come with changes and, in my humble opinion, skipping the miniatures for the sake of the planet is a fair swap to make. What do you say? 

Main image: Getty