SPRINGFIELD – Promoting an environmentally conscious approach to hospitality, State Senator Laura Fine passed a measure out of the Senate to phase out the use of small, single-use plastic bottles in hotels across Illinois.

“According to researchers, by 2050, plastic could outweigh all fish in the oceans,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “Personal products available in plastic bottles are common in hotels and pose immediate risk to our environment once they are thrown away. This bill puts our state on the path to being part of a solution by reducing plastic pollution.”

Senate Bill 2960 creates the Small Single-Use Plastic Bottle Act, which requires hotels with 50 or more rooms to eliminate the use of small, single-use plastic bottles containing personal care products in individual rooms and public bathrooms beginning July 1, 2025. By Jan. 1, 2026, all hotels with fewer than 50 rooms are expected to make this transition. 

“This bill reflects a partnership between the hotel industry and environmental groups. This legislation has the potential to drastically reduce plastic waste in Illinois,” said Fine. “We need to take the steps that we can now to prevent our state from adding to the rise in plastic pollution nationwide and help people to be more mindful of the daily waste attributed to single-use plastic.”

Fine’s legislation builds on her dedication to confront pollution from single-use plastics. Last year she passed a law requiring state agencies to track their own purchases of single-use plastic disposable foodware and establish goals for reducing use of these items.

The measure passed the Senate on Wednesday and now heads to the House for further consideration.