Since 2026, the hotel room consumables (hereinafter referred to as "guest consumables") industry has undergone a profound transformation. From toothbrushes and combs to shampoo, conditioner, and slippers, these seemingly inconspicuous room amenities are transforming from a "cost item" to a "value item" of hotel experience under the multiple effects of policy guidance, consumer upgrading, and industry self-discipline.
Policy driven: Green consumption becomes a hard constraint
In January 2026, the Ministry of Commerce and 9 other departments jointly issued the "Notice on Implementing Green Consumption Promotion Action", proposing 20 specific measures in 7 aspects around improving the incentive mechanism for green consumption. It is explicitly required to cultivate green hotels, promote non-toxic, water-saving, biodegradable cleaning agents, room consumables, cloth slippers and other biodegradable items, provide large bottles or refillable toiletries, and not actively provide disposable plastic products.
The local level is also accelerating its implementation. Since the implementation of the "Regulations on the Management of Domestic Waste" in 2019, Shanghai has continued to promote the reduction of "six small items" in hotels. In 2025, relevant management departments will jointly conduct on-site research, focusing on checking whether hotels actively provide disposable items such as toothbrushes, combs, razors, bath towels, nail files, shoe wipes, etc. Some hotels have replaced toothbrushes and other supplies with reusable and easily degradable products made from natural materials such as straw.
It is worth noting that policy efforts are still increasing. By the end of 2026, disposable plastic products in hotels below four stars are expected to be reduced by over 90%. The restriction on disposable items has been upgraded from 'not recommended to be provided proactively' to 'must be provided upon customer request'. At the same time, the national standard "Hygienic Requirements for Disposable Sanitary Products" (GB15979-2024) has been implemented since July 1, 2025, explicitly prohibiting the repeated use of disposable products.
Industry News: Market Expansion and Pain Coexist
From the perspective of market size, the potential of the hotel customer consumer goods track is considerable. By 2025, the market size of China's hotel bath products industry will reach 17.72 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.0%, with shampoo and shower gel accounting for over 62% of the overall product share. The global disposable hotel supplies market is expected to generate sales of $15.23 billion by 2025 and is projected to increase to $20.13 billion by 2032.
However, the industry also faces severe challenges. On the one hand, the cost of consumer goods continues to rise, the prices of raw materials at the factory end fluctuate sharply, and logistics costs climb, putting a lot of pressure on many hotel supplies wholesalers. On the other hand, frequent quality issues have attracted public attention. In June 2026, CCTV's "Financial Investigation" exposed that small workshops in Yangzhou, Hangji and other places directly process waste plastics into "recycled materials" and mass produce inferior toothbrushes with a factory price of only 6 cents, which flow into the market through hotel supply cities. As the "Capital of Daily Necessities in Chinese Hotels", Hangji has an annual output value of over 30 billion yuan and gathers over 4000 enterprises. However, the quality risks caused by price wars cannot be ignored.
Honor and Qualification: Industry Benchmark Leading Direction
In the industry reshuffle, a group of outstanding enterprises have emerged. April 2026, Tang Dynasty Good Things ® At the Hotel&ShopPlus Golden Hall Awards ceremony, it won the "Best Hotel ESG Hotel Supplies Brand Award", and its product innovation ability and industry influence were highly recognized. Dongcheng Group has won the Best Practice Case for Sustainable Development in 2025 based on its excellent practices in exploring low-carbon hotel models. In addition, multiple companies were awarded honors such as "Best Partner" at the 3rd Hotel Supply Chain Operators Conference.
New Product Launch: Co branding and Sustainability as Keywords
In March 2026, the First Home Inn Group and the Natural Hall Group launched a strategic cooperation to jointly launch a customized joint washing and care series, including three product lines: "Leisurely Home", "Orange Light Mist Shadow", and "Snowy Land Tranquility", covering shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and hand sanitizer. The product incorporates ingredients such as Himalayan glacier water and snow tea, and uses large capacity recyclable pump bottles and recycled plastic bottle bodies.
In the international market, Groupe GM has launched the Ecofill Stonecast supplementary distribution system, which uses stone powder material and combines high-end design with sustainability. Compared with disposable bottles, packaging bags can reduce 97% of plastic waste.
In the toothbrush category, "replacing plastic with bamboo" has become a new direction. The bamboo handle toothbrush developed by Yangzhou New City enterprises, although 50% to 80% more expensive, can reduce more than 95% of plastic waste and is in high demand in the European and American markets. The Shantou University team uses tea waste as the core material to develop biodegradable disposable hotel products.
Collaboration case: Cross border integration activates new scenarios
Industry cooperation is becoming increasingly frequent. The joint washing and care series between First Travel Home and Nature Hall has landed in core stores of mid to high end brands such as Jianguo Puyin and Home Selection in April. The Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative has partnered with Dongcheng Group to introduce Red Cliff Green Brick Tea into the consumption scene of chain hotels. Orange Hotel collaborates with Teddy Collection and Arctic Ocean to launch a joint trendy toy, adding an emphasis on "experiential accommodation".
Outlook: Quality, Branding, and Sustainability
Currently, the hotel consumer goods industry is standing at a crossroads of transformation and upgrading. Data shows that by the end of 2025, the proportion of hotels that do not actively provide disposable toothbrushes and combs is only 6.4% and 11.0% respectively, indicating that there is still significant room for policy implementation. Industry experts point out that hotel consumer goods are moving from the "hidden corners" to the front desk, and quality, branding, and sustainability will become the main theme of industry development. Under the dual drive of policy guidance and consumption upgrading, whoever can take the lead in completing green transformation and quality upgrading will be able to gain an advantage in the next round of industry competition.
