New York State Bans Travel Size Toiletries in Hotels

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

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One of the simple pleasures of traveling is checking into a hotel room and being greeted by miniature bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash from luxurious brands that you’d never splurge on for yourself.

Young hotel maid putting bath accessories in a bathroom — Drobot Dean | Adobe Stock

Unfortunately, these tiny plastic bottles are wasteful and have a significant environmental impact. New York State has just passed a bill banning small “hospitality care” bottles beginning on January 1, 2025. Hotels in the state will only be allowed to provide toiletries in bottles that are 12 ounces or larger. Any properties found in violation will be charged $250 for the first offense and $500 for each additional transgression.

The law will initially only apply to hotels with more than 50 rooms, and smaller hotels will have to comply with the new rules beginning January 1, 2026.

Currently, California is the only other state with a similar ban in place. Washington state has passed similar legislation set to take effect in 2027.

Most hotels will likely transition to offering refillable, full-size toiletry bottles. However, these larger containers may raise concerns about hygiene and potential tampering by other guests.

Matador Toiletry Bottles 3 Pack - 3 OZ Travel Bottles for Toiletries, TSA Approved Toiletry Bottles with Labels, Refillable Travel Pouch, Travel Containers for Creams, Gels, Pastes, and Liquids — Amazon

We recommend investing in a set of travel-sized bottles that you can refill with your own toiletries in between trips. Although it takes away the fun of trying new products on the road, it means you’re guaranteed to have products you know work for your hair and skin and prevents you from being caught off-guard when the in-room products are not refilled. These refillable bottles from Matador are our favorite, as they are a flat design that saves space in your toiletries kit.

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