Eco Amenities for Holiday Lets: A Buying Guide

Eco amenities for holiday lets respond to growing guest demand and a regulatory pressure that is already affecting hotel establishments and will progressively reach the short-term rental sector too. But beyond regulation, the holiday let manager has concrete practical and economic reasons to consider eco amenities: short-term rental platforms — Airbnb, Booking — value sustainability positively as a visibility criterion, and the values-driven traveller is willing to pay more for accommodation that shares those values.

This guide explains what makes an amenity genuinely ecological — beyond green marketing — which options exist for the different elements of a holiday let's guest kit and how to implement a sustainable amenity offering without dramatically increasing the cost per stay.

What Makes an Amenity Genuinely Ecological

Verifiable Certifications

COSMOS Organic / COSMOS Natural (Ecocert): the most internationally recognised standard in ecological cosmetics. COSMOS Organic guarantees that at least 95% of plant-based ingredients are of certified organic origin.

GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard): for textile amenities — towels, bathrobes, fabric bags. Guarantees the cotton is organic and that the manufacturing process meets social and environmental standards.

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council): for paper or card packaging. Guarantees the paper comes from responsibly managed forests.

Cruelty Free / Leaping Bunny: guarantees the products have not been tested on animals.

Packaging Sustainability

Recycled or FSC paper or card: the most sustainable alternative for soaps, wipes and rigid packaging.

Recycled plastic (rPET): if the packaging is plastic, rPET — recycled plastic from bottles — has a lower carbon footprint than virgin plastic.

Refillable containers or dispenser format: the lowest environmental impact per use, with no individual disposable packaging.

Biodegradable or compostable packaging: materials such as PLA — polylactic acid of plant origin — break down under industrial composting conditions.

Formulation Without Problematic Ingredients

A coherent ecological formulation must avoid:

• Microplastics: plastic particles in exfoliants and some gels, subject to progressive EU regulation
• Parabens: synthetic preservatives
• Aggressive sulphates (SLS): sodium lauryl sulphate, questioned for its petrochemical origin
• Silicones: non-biodegradable synthetic ingredients in conditioners and creams
• Synthetic fragrances: replaced by natural essential oils in ecological formulations

Eco Options for Each Element of the Holiday Let Guest Kit

Eco Shower Gel and Shampoo

The most sustainable option is a refillable wall-mounted dispenser with certified eco product. It completely eliminates single-use plastic, reduces cost per use and requires less restocking between stays.

For holiday lets that prefer individual format — for image or consumption control reasons — paper or card sachets with COSMOS formulation are the most sustainable alternative to conventional plastic sachets.

Eco Soap Bar

The paper-wrapped soap bar is the most sustainable option and also one of the most classic in hospitality. An olive oil or coconut oil soap bar with eco certification and FSC paper wrapping communicates sustainability and craftsmanship simultaneously.

Biodegradable Makeup Remover Wipes

If the holiday let includes makeup remover wipes, opting for biodegradable viscose or organic cotton wipes rather than conventional polyester makes a genuine difference to environmental impact and to the perception of coherence for the sustainability-conscious guest.

Textile Amenities: Organic Cotton and Bamboo

GOTS-certified organic cotton towels: organic cotton is grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. The difference in feel compared to conventional cotton is not substantial, but the GOTS certification is a communicable value argument for the guest.

Bamboo towels: bamboo is a naturally sustainable fibre — it grows quickly without pesticides — with natural antibacterial properties and a very soft feel.

How to Communicate Sustainability to the Holiday Let Guest

Without a receptionist to explain choices, communication must be done in writing:

Welcome card: mention the eco amenities in the welcome card or apartment handbook.

Label on the dispenser: a small label indicating "certified eco products" or "natural cosmetics" on the dispenser.

Platform profile: highlight the sustainability of the amenities in the property description on Airbnb and Booking. The platforms have sustainability search filters that give additional visibility to properties that activate them.

Cost vs Impact: How to Implement Without Breaking the Budget

Step 1 — dispensers: install wall-mounted dispensers for shower gel, shampoo and hand soap with eco bulk product. Greatest environmental impact at the lowest cost per use.

Step 2 — soap bar: replace conventional soap with eco soap in paper wrapping. The unit cost premium is minimal and the image impact is high.

Step 3 — biodegradable wipes: if makeup remover wipes are included, replace them with the biodegradable version.

Step 4 — textiles: at the next towel renewal, consider organic cotton or bamboo.