Hotels across the globe are embracing more responsible practices, notably shifting from single-use  plastics to dispensers, investing in recycling infrastructure, and communicating environmental commitments to guests. These changes are commendable, but they are no longer enough. In an era where transparency is digitalised, and information is only a scan away, guests are increasingly empowered to verify sustainability claims through mobile applications, such as BTMB (Beat the Microbead), which unmask product ingredients in real time.

The Invisible Pollutants in a Responsible Hotel

One of the most critical issues now emerging is the presence of microplastics in hotel cosmetics and personal care products—a form of pollution that escapes filtration systems and ultimately enters our water systems, oceans, and food chains. For hotels that proudly claim environmental leadership, this
presents a silent but significant contradiction.

Digital Transparency: BTMB and the Rise of Ingredient Accountability

The BTMB app, developed by the Plastic Soup Foundation, allows users to scan cosmetic product labels and instantly assess whether any ingredients contain microplastics. The app uses an internationally recognised database that categorises ingredients by their microplastic content and persistence in the environment.

While several amenity suppliers dispute the app’s findings, often presenting lengthy technical justifications, the perception of the guest is driven by the app, not by industry rebuttals. From the guest’s point of view, if BTMB flags a product as containing microplastics, that product and, by extension, the hotel offers- is no longer seen as environmentally responsible.

This transparency renders traditional supplier assurances ineffective. Sustainability today is not only about what you say or believe but about what guests can prove for themselves

Why Microplastics in the Hotel Context

Microplastics are solid plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, often intentionally added to personal care products to improve texture, function, or visual appeal. When guests use these products, shampoos, body washes, facial cleansers, the particles are rinsed away, entering wastewater systems. Conventional water treatment facilities cannot capture them, resulting in their accumulation in aquatic ecosystems.

This reality undermines any hotel initiative that claims to reduce plastic pollution. A dispenser-based system, although reducing packaging waste, becomes meaningless if the contents contain microplastics.

In short:

You may have removed the bottle, but you kept the pollution.

For hotels that seek certification, recognition, or alignment with ESG, CSRD, EarthCheck, or ISO 14001 frameworks, ignoring microplastics represents a clear misalignment with environmental goals and due diligence obligations.

The Most Common Microplastic Ingredients in Hotel Cosmetics

The following is a non-exhaustive list of common microplastic ingredients found in many cosmetic products, including those used by hotels. These substances are flagged by BTMB and similar applications as potentially harmful to the environment:

Even ingredients with innocuous names like “Copolymer” or “Crosspolymer” are often synthetic and nonbiodegradable, thus contributing to long-term microplastic pollution.

The Implications for Hotel Sustainability Credibility

When hotels present themselves as leaders in environmental stewardship, a disconnection between messaging and material reality—especially when revealed by guests through apps—can seriously damage reputation and trust.

– Reputational Risk: Inconsistent messaging is quickly flagged by guests online, undermining trust and sustainability branding.

-Operational Greenwashing: Continuing to offer products with microplastics while promoting sustainability may constitute greenwashing under new EU legislation (e.g. Green Claims Directive).

– Guest Awareness: Digital tools like BTMB are free, widely used, and supported by NGOs, which gives them legitimacy in the public eye—even above supplier claims.

– Legal and Certification Compliance: Programmes such as EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan, and EarthCheck are progressively considering or already integrating microplastic criteria into their standards.

Recommendations for Hotels

1. Audit current amenities
Conduct a full audit of all cosmetic and personal care products used in guest rooms and spas. Scan them with BTMB to understand the guest’s perspective.

2. Demand full ingredient transparency
Require suppliers to provide full INCI lists (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) and flag any synthetic polymers.

3. Select alternatives
Prioritise amenities labelled as “Microplastic-Free”, “Zero Plastic Inside”, or third-party certified by reliable environmental organisations.

4. Educate guests
Clearly communicate the hotel’s ingredient policy and the efforts made to go beyond packaging—showing that you understand sustainability goes beyond what meets the eye.

5. Update procurement policies
Integrate microplastic-free criteria into your sustainable purchasing policy to ensure ongoing compliance and transparency.

The move away from single-use plastics and towards dispensers is a step in the right direction—but it is only part of the journey. The true environmental responsibility of a hotel is measured not just by what it removes (like plastic bottles), but by what it allows through its systems—including invisible pollutants such as microplastics.

Guests today are not passive. With tools like BTMB, they have access to scientific insights at their fingertips. A truly sustainable hotel must anticipate and align with this shift, not resist it.

“What the guest scans, they believe.”

“What the hotel denies, they will question.”

Let your actions speak more clearly than your packaging!