Among the most pressing environmental challenges facing the world's oceans and coastlines are, respectively, plastic pollution and beach erosion. Recently, we came across three innovative private sector initiatives that attempt to deal with these challenges.

The owner of Holiday Inn, InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels is about to become the first international hospitality brand to remove all of its miniature toiletries. InterContinental Hotels Group says it will rid its rooms of small plastic bottles by 2021, replacing them with bulk-size supplies. On a smaller-scale, Marriott announced last year it was replacing miniature-sized plastic toiletries with bulk-sized dispensers at 1,500 hotels in North America. 

 

In a related effort, California lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban hotels from providing guests with small plastic bottles for soap, shampoo and conditioner. The proposed law, AB 1162,

 

Pepsi to Begin Selling Water in Cans

 

PepsiCo Inc. recently announced that it will experiment with putting its Aquafina and Bubly water products in cans instead of plastic bottles. PepsiCo also is transitioning its upscale bottled water brand, LIFEWTR, to 100% recycled plastic in the U.S. by the end of next year. The company says the changes will eliminate more than 8,000 metric tons of virgin plastic.  

 

Beach Sand from Bottles

 

To help combat the global sand shortage, New Zealand brewer DB Breweries has designed machines that let customers instantly turn their empty beer bottles into sand. The beer bottle sand is used by construction companies, concrete manufacturers and beach renourishment projects. More information about this initiative is available here.