The Best Western Premier Opéra Liège, a 50-room upscale hotel in Paris, has eliminated since February 1st all single-use plastic packaging in all of the hotel's services. The initiative was designed and implemented in partnership with the start-up Racing for the Oceans, which advises companies towards a zero single-use plastic approach.

The Best Western Premier Opera Liège's zero plastic initiative is part of the pilot projects of the start-up Racing for the Oceans and is part of the legislation that foresees the ecological transition in order to ban all single-use plastic objects by 2040. The Paris-based start-up assists stakeholders from different sectors to become a reference for zero waste by offering them sourcing solutions and consulting services. In this context, the company has conducted audits of the hotel's spendings on plastic objects in order to determine the areas where the elimination of plastic would be possible.

On the toiletries side, the most notable change is the replacement of the classic plastic shampoo bottle with solid, package-free three-in-one soap bars. Other sustainable solutions include moisturizing oil in refillable glass bottles, bamboo toothbrushes and other accessories on demand (sewing kit, cotton, toothpaste) and in eco-friendly versions. The plastic water bottles in the rooms have also been replaced by glass bottles and a water fountain has been set up in the hotel to refill them. The project also provides guests with wooden magnetic cards, garbage bags made of paper or vegetable cloth and organic cotton laundry bags.

For the food & beverage part, bar and breakfast products are delivered in short food circuits, to offer fresh and protected products, without single-use plastic packaging. Many other products are also delivered in glass containers or in biodegradable materials such as coffee capsules.

As far as transition costs are concerned, Marine Pescot, co-founder of Racing for The Oceans, explains that although the cost of new environmentally friendly products is currently higher than that of conventional plastics, the difference is minimal, and in the medium term, and for large volumes, the investment even becomes profitable. Moreover, the hotel management remains enthusiastic and committed to the project and plans to extend it to its six other hotels in Paris.