Plastic-Free Hospitality: What You Need To Know About Eco-friendly Packaging
Photos by ISTOCK and Bunzl Catering Supplies
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that global plastic production exceeds 430 million tonnes each year.
Packaging is the largest contributor to single-use plastic waste, making up about 36% of all plastic produced. This includes disposable food and beverage packaging, with approximately 85% ending up in landfills, waterways, and oceans.
Transitioning to reusable, compostable, or biodegradable packaging is essential to curb this growing plastic crisis, yet many hotels and restaurants face challenges in making the switch.
Top 3 Misconceptions Holding Back Green Packaging in Hospitality
Raphael Cazalbou, Co-Founder and CEO of TURN GREEN, highlights cost and supply chain constraints, material performance issues, and blind trust in eco-labels as the leading misconceptions that hold hotels back from adopting plastic-free packaging.
1. Cost and Supply Chain Constraints
The higher cost of biodegradable or compostable packaging materials than conventional plastic is partially because of the newness of the technology and the lower production volumes. Limited supplier availability in Asia makes sourcing difficult, leading to long lead times and high order minimums.
Hotels often struggle to justify the higher costs of sustainable packaging, especially when ROI is difficult to quantify.
Some luxury brands have managed to use responsible packaging as a marketing differentiator, but budget hotels may find the transition more challenging.
Raphael explains, “While some hotels believe green transitions may be upfront costs, the long-term benefits such as reduced waste management fees, improved brand reputation, and alignment with consumer preferences far outweigh the initial investment.”
2. Durability and Performance Issues
Hotels worry about durability, aesthetics, or functionality, especially for premium guest experiences. For example, biodegradable materials, which could be plant-based, can degrade under heat or moisture, making them impractical for certain food and beverage applications. Some compostable options lack durability compared to plastic, leading to potential customer dissatisfaction.
Raphael explains, “When working with the right partners, hotels will find that eco-friendly materials can meet or even exceed the quality of conventional plastics.”
3. Not All “Eco-Friendly” Products Are Equal.
Raphael points out that choosing products with "eco-friendly" labels may not solve the sustainability challenges. For example, products made of a blend of plastic and natural waste such as coffee do not create any benefits and could be worse off as they are not recyclable or compostable.
At the same time, certain “biodegradable” plastics only break down under industrial composting conditions, not in natural environments. Some so-called compostable materials contain microplastics, which end up in landfills, oceans, or even the food chain.
A product labeled as “eco-friendly” might still have a high environmental footprint due to energy-intensive manufacturing and excessive water use.
Graphics by Greenmatch
The Cost of Inaction: 3 Consequences of Ignoring Responsible Packaging
1. Severe and Widespread Environmental Damage Affecting the Very Existence of Tourism
With approximately 80% of tourists visiting coastal areas, intensifying plastic waste accumulation mars the very aesthetic appeal that attracts visitors.
For an industry that depends on the beauty and health of our planet, the travel sector has a special responsibility and opportunity to take the lead in tackling this problem.
>> Read the AST article about the devastating impacts of plastic pollution on tourism across the Asia Pacific region.
2. Growing Regulatory and Compliance Risks
On the destination level, the South Pacific country Vanuatu and the Indian state of Sikkim are prime examples of local governments implementing effective measures to combat plastic pollution.
A growing number of nations such as Japan and China have enacted laws targeting packaging waste. Yet, diverse regulations across countries in the region lead to complexities in packaging design and compliance.
Businesses are encouraged to take the risk-averse approach, which is adopting plastic-free material to prevent running into any potential non-compliance and associated penalties.
3. Losing Out on Sustainability-Minded Guests
A Booking.com report reveals that 81% of travelers expect hotels to adopt sustainable practices—and this number is only rising. Today’s eco-conscious travelers aren’t just expecting change, they’re willing to pay a premium for responsible choices.
While economic challenges influence consumer priorities, the underlying demand for sustainable practices in hospitality remains strong.
Brands using responsible packaging can differentiate themselves, appealing to a niche market willing to support eco-friendly initiatives.
4 Things to Know Before Adopting Eco-friendly Packaging
Hotels can transition to responsible packaging by adopting a combination of industry certifications, material selection, supplier partnerships, and circular economy principles.
1. Spot True Green Packaging through Eco Labels
If you handle hotel procurement or oversee sustainability across properties, you’re in luck. Raphael shares expert tips on identifying genuinely green packaging certifications because not all of them can be trusted.
Raphael recommends looking for products certified by internationally recognized standards like OK Compost, EN 13432, and OK Biodegradable WATER. These eco-labels are among the most rigorous in verifying a product’s environmental claims.
The Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) emphasizes that responsibly sourced packaging must be verifiable and transparent, requiring every actor in the supply chain to demonstrate traceability through a chain of custody.
Source: DMD ECO WORLD
2. Know Your Product’s Material Composition
It’s also important to be diligent and understand the material composition of your packaging. The key is to determine if they are genuinely eco-friendly. Raphael advises caution with vague labels like “plant-based” that lack clear evidence; it would be useful to request a detailed third-party testing from your supplier.
Raphael and his team at TURN GREEN work with a number of hotel brands in Vietnam to replace their plastic containers with eco-friendly packaging. TURN GREEN replaced Sofitel Saigon Plaza’s plastic food containers with bagasse alternatives, partnered with Vietnam’s Ibis, Holiday Inn, and JW Marriott Phu Quoc to supply eco-friendly bags, containers, and cutlery, reducing the impact of single-use items.
Upcycling Agricultural and Industrial Waste into Sustainable Packaging
Source: Food&HotelAsia (FHA)
Spent Grains: From Brewery Byproduct to Reusable Packaging
Once used in beer production, these spent grains lose their starch content and are no longer suitable for brewing. Companies like Alterpacks have found a second life for them, repurposing spent grains into durable, reusable food containers that are both freezer and microwave-safe.
Bagasse: Turning Sugarcane Waste into Compostable Packaging
Companies like BioPak blend bagasse, or sugarcane pulp with other plant-based fibers to create their BioCane range, a packaging solution that meets Australian industrial composting standards. Singapore-based Eco U produces sugarcane-based tableware that decomposes within three months, much faster than starch-based alternatives, which can take up to nine months.
Cassava: A Rapidly Decomposing Alternative
Green Lab’s Cassa180 bag, made from cassava root and recycled industrial water, is claimed to be fully biodegradable and compostable. The bag dissolves in boiling water within three minutes and naturally decomposes in the soil in just 180 days. Thailand-based Universal Biopack also blends cassava and bamboo—sourced from chopstick manufacturing leftovers, to create packaging.a
From top left: Spent grains by Brooklyn Brew Shop; Containers made of spent grains by Alterpacks; Containers made of bagasse by BioPak; Lifescyle of sugarcane by L P Agencies.
3. Understand Packaging End-of-Life
Comprehending how packaging materials degrade post-use is critical to mitigate environmental impact. Different materials require specific conditions to decompose.
For example, hotels can adopt closed-loop systems where packaging waste is either repurposed or collected for industrial composting. The Datai Langkawi in Malaysia builds an onsite composting facility to ensure food waste and compostable packaging decomposes properly.
4. Build a Transparent Supplier Partnership
Transparency ensures that materials are ethically sourced, environmentally friendly, and compliant with sustainability standards. Raphael recommends partnering with suppliers who provide full documentation and are willing to share test results, certifications, and production processes.
Final Words
To truly address the packaging waste crisis, hospitality businesses must go beyond surface-level solutions.
While biodegradable and compostable packaging offers a viable path forward, the most immediate and impactful action is to eliminate single-use plastics and prioritize reduction, recycling, and upcycling. For instance, The Datai Langkawi’s achievement of diverting 96% of dry waste from landfills in 2024 proves that a strategic, holistic, and committed approach can drive measurable and impactful results.
Raphael outlines three immediate, actionable steps for hospitality companies to take now:
Conduct a packaging audit: Identify waste hotspots for reduction and reusing. Then replace unsustainable materials with responsible alternatives.
Engage stakeholders: Train staff, educate guests, and involve suppliers in the transition to ensure buy-in at every level.
Pilot test solutions: Start small, such as introducing eco-friendly packaging in one department (e.g., housekeeping or F&B), then scale successful initiatives across operations.
The time for incremental change is over.
With mounting regulatory pressure, shifting consumer expectations, and worsening environmental damage, the businesses that rethink their packaging strategies today will not only future-proof their operations but also gain a competitive edge in an increasingly sustainability-driven market.
Photos by TURN GREEN
