
When InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced last week it was getting rid of those ubiquitous mini bottles of toiletries from its roughly 843,000 rooms, Jack Read started getting emails.
When a business makes an operational decision—like ending individual-size products—there are always unintended consequences.
Individual toiletries are easier to transport, which is vital for homeless people.
In an effort to lower the brand’s waste footprint, IHG may have inadvertently made life more complicated for the charities and nonprofits that work with the homeless.
Across the country, homeless and domestic violence shelters have long been recipients of travelers’ charity: Because the small bottles are easily portable, they can better accommodate individuals and families whose housing situation is unstable.
“What IHG is doing is very important,” Read said of the hotel’s goal to enact more environmentally friendly policies.