Nearly all guests will use hotel bathroom amenities during their stay, and the products the hotel operator procures in that area send an implicit message that the property’s commitment to sustainability extends to the minutiae of the guest experience. That message increasingly resonates with today’s traveler, whose sustainability expectations are pushing hotels in all sectors and chain scales to ramp up their green practices. “We call it a ‘tectonic shift’ because it’s happening everywhere,” said Gerd von Podewils, chief marketing officer, ADA Cosmetics International GmbH. “It’s driven by guests, who want to stay in a place that’s more sustainable, and hotels are following what guests want.” Another driver for the shift toward sustainability is legislation; the European Union and several U.S. states have banned the use small portions of cosmetics at hotels, for example.
But while the hotel operator simply deploys sustainable bathroom amenities, fully “greening” those products is not a simple task for the manufacturer. Sustainability must be carried out through the product’s ingredients and materials, packaging and packing, production process, and even the design of dispenser mechanisms. ADA Cosmetics is an example of a manufacturer that prioritizes sustainability in all these areas, ensuring that hoteliers provide bathroom amenities that are maximally sustainable in every respect.
Sustainable and Safe Ingredients
The company developed the first sustainable shampoo and bodywash in 2008, featuring only natural ingredients. “The sustainability trend wasn’t happening yet, but we offered it,” von Podewils recalled. Eventually, cosmetics ingredients came under FDA regulation in the United States with the passing of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act in 2022. But ADA Cosmetics had always been ahead of the curve in managing risk for consumers. Its Product Ingredients Policy excludes “ingredients of concern”—identified by ADA’s labs around the world—from all the company’s formulations, including parabens, mineral oils, microplastics, nanomaterials, MIT and MCIT preservatives, silicones, lilial, benzophenone UV filters, and formaldehyde releasers. “If there is an ingredient that’s in doubt or being reviewed [by the FDA], we make our own assessment and potentially ban it even before it’s officially banned,” von Podewils noted. In addition, the company’s liquid cosmetics are all Cradle to Cradle Certified.
Dry Amenities
Bathroom amenities also include combs, brushes, swabs, towels, and slippers, and ideally these should also incorporate only sustainable materials. For example, ADA Cosmetics’ products are made from sustainable materials such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified recycled wood and paper. “We make sure that whatever we’re using is being reused and also prepared for reusing,” said von Podewils.
Certifications like Cradle to Cradle and FSC are earned through external audit, which is important “because there’s so much greenwashing going on at the moment,” he observed. “Everybody’s putting some sort of [sustainability] logo or stamp on their products, but we are only using certifications that are externally audited. Cradle to Cradle is especially important because it covers the entire value chain, from the ingredients used to the ethical standards under which our labor is happening. So, there is really a total value chain assessment.”
Dispensers and Refill Systems
Using dispensers in lieu of mini cosmetics bottles is an eco-friendly practice that reduces plastic waste by about 50 percent, von Podewils indicated, and refillable dispensers save at least another 30 percent. However, refillable dispensers create a hygiene challenge since the pump system can become contaminated with bacteria over time. A study conducted last year by the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, the leading German hygiene institute, found that 38 of the 57 refillable pump dispensers used in the study (approximately two out of three) were highly contaminated with bacteria, but none of the closed press dispensers were. “During use in the shower or by the sink, water collects inside the pump head. In this stagnant water a biofilm develops within a couple of days. This bacterial film is then pumped with every stroke through the little air exchange hole into the bottle,” he explained. “And so, you’re contaminating the liquid inside. But with our SmartCare system’s patented membrane, there’s no contamination possible because by gently squeezing the SmartCare dispenser, the liquid is released through or at the bottom. And a few months ago, we developed a drainage system for these pumps, so any water that’s coming into the pump is diverted and drained in a way that it doesn’t affect the pump body. We have the first safe and hygienic pump system in the industry.” In addition, it is the first pump with all components made from one plastic material, which makes it the first pump in the category that is fully recyclable.
ADA Cosmetics has also improved the dispenser refilling process with the development of Refillution, introduced last year. The machine features the company’s proprietary three-gallon bag-in-boxes, which ensure cost savings, sustainability, and improved hygiene. The high-speed machine automatically refills a 300ml dispenser in just a few seconds and is fitted with a peristaltic pump system that does not contact the liquid, which is contained within a flexible tube. A one-piece elastomeric duckbill valve prevents any backflow and, therefore, any potential contamination of the liquid as well as any dripping.
Packaging and Packing
To ensure that product packaging and shipping materials are sustainable, ADA Cosmetics has aligned its process with Canopy Planet’s Pack4Good initiative. “We are looking at the entire value chain [for sustainability], so even the shipping boxes—what guests don’t see,” von Podewils explained. “We only use FSC-certified paper products, which are not harming the rainforest. That’s the first step. The next level up is FSC recycled, where no more trees are needed.”
Hotel Green Certifications
Using sustainable bathroom amenities helps hoteliers earn green certifications for their operations, and the most prominent certification in the United States is Green Key. “Green Key, of course, looks at the total hotel; we are cosmetics and only a part of it. But Green Key is very particular when it comes to who is allowed to contribute to the scoring system, and our Cradle to Cradle Certified hotel cosmetics are recognized by Green Key for the scorecard,” von Podewils noted.
While bathroom amenities may seem like a minor part of the sustainability effort, they do impact a hotel’s overall sustainability score for programs like Green Key. And what’s more, those amenities are quite noticeable to the eco-conscious guests that are increasingly driving the hospitality industry.
