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| gettyimagesbank |
By Ko Dong-hwan
The nation will introduce new environmental regulations that will put a stop to single-use items in large-size hotels and other commercial lodgings to reduce waste.
But the plan is already facing a backlash as the convenience of such items is one of the reasons people use such facilities, especially those providing luxury brand sample products.
The National Assembly passed a revision bill for the Resource Recycling Act so as to ban the provision of single-use products at hotels with 50 or more rooms on Monday. Previously the law was applied to restaurants and large-size supermarkets.
The revised rule is expected to be put into effect within two years.
Under the new regulation, hotels with 50 or more rooms can no longer provide single-use toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and body cleanser. To some customers, the items have been one of the key factors in deciding which hotel to stay at, because some hotels provided products of high-end brands, attracting lodgers interested in using or taking them home.
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| A new environmental regulation will force hotels and other large-sized lodgings to replace their single-use toiletries with multi-use containers. gettyimagesbank |
The new measure, however, is not welcomed by all.
Some people are expressing concerns over hygiene since guests will have to use the same shampoo or body cleanser dispensers. At hotels that have already adopted such dispensers, some guests went as far as to steal the dispensers.
Other hotel employees say some lodgers particularly requested single-use items, prompting the establishments to consider introducing vending machines that sell the small-sized products.
Chun Young-eun, an official from Paradise Hotel and Resort in Korea, said the hotel group is also planning to replace single-use products with large dispensers this year. The group runs Incheon Paradise City with over 700 rooms and Paradise Hotel Busan with 532 rooms.
"We must abide by the new Environmental Act," Chun told The Korea Times. "There are really no other options. Of course, there could be complaints from our guests regarding our new system. We will just have to do our best in maintaining hygiene."
Despite the concerns, many lodgings are following the initiative for environmental reasons, and some hotels have already replaced single-use products with multi-use ones. Small items were replaced with larger dispensers, which were fixed to a bathroom wall or on a countertop close to the wash basin.
Korean brands under Hotel Lotte, including Signiel Seoul, Lotte Hotel, L7 and Lotte City Hotel, as well as those under Josun Hotels and Resorts, including Westin Josun Seoul and L'Escape Hotel, have already completed setting up the eco-friendly dispensing systems.
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