HOTELIANKey points
- Legal basis: Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources (Resource Recycling Act) and its Enforcement Decree
- Who: lodging businesses with 50 or more guest rooms, effective March 29, 2024
- What: ban on providing five single-use items — toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, rinse, razor — free of charge. Fines: KRW 500,000 (1st), KRW 1,000,000 (2nd), KRW 2,000,000 (3rd)
1. Who is covered?
Lodging businesses with 50 or more guest rooms. This includes not only hotels but resorts, condominiums, motels and any facility operating as a lodging business with 50+ rooms. According to industry reports, as of March 2024, 2,243 of 29,954 lodging facilities nationwide (about 7.5%) had 50 or more rooms.
2. Which items are regulated?
| Regulated items (5) | Single-use toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, rinse (conditioner), razor |
|---|---|
| Prohibited | Providing these items to guests free of charge |
| Allowed | Refillable bulk containers (dispensers), paid sale on guest request, reusable or non-disposable alternatives |
3. What are the fines?
| 1st violation | KRW 500,000 |
|---|---|
| 2nd violation | KRW 1,000,000 |
| 3rd and later | KRW 2,000,000 |
The number of violations is counted within the most recent one year.
4. How do hotels respond?
Shampoo · rinse · body wash → 500ml bulk dispensers
The most common response is to replace small (30–50ml) single-use bottles with 500ml wall-mounted dispensers in guest bathrooms. Refillable bulk containers are not regulated single-use items. HOTELIAN supplies shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion in a 500ml format. View supply items
Toothbrush · toothpaste · razor → paid sale or on-request provision
Many hotels stop placing these in rooms by default and switch to the front desk, vending machines or paid in-room kits. Paper-packaged dry amenities with less plastic are worth considering too. View dry amenities
Transition checklist
- Check your room count and whether you are covered (50+ rooms)
- List the five items currently provided free in rooms
- Calculate dispenser quantities for shampoo, rinse and body wash (rooms × items)
- Decide how and at what price to sell toothbrushes, toothpaste and razors
- Update in-room notices and booking channel descriptions
- Record transitioned items and quantities for ESG reporting
5. What about lodgings with fewer than 50 rooms?
The free-provision ban currently applies to lodging businesses with 50 or more rooms. Smaller properties are not obligated, but more and more of them switch to bulk dispensers to cut amenity costs and waste.
Sources (in Korean): Korea Policy Briefing · Sukbak Magazine — fine criteria · Sukbak Magazine — number of 50+ room lodgings
This page is for general information only. Please confirm whether the rules apply to your business with your local government or the Ministry of Environment.