InterContinental Hotels Group will remove from circulation some 200 million miniature bathroom amenity bottles as part of its ongoing company initiative to reduce its annual global carbon footprint.

In place of the mini amenity bottles – most of which are made of single-use plastic – will be bulk refillable dispensers. IHG says it expects to complete the changeover to be complete across nearly 850,000 hotel rooms worldwide within the next two years.

The move sees IHG become the first major global group to commit to a full-scale phase-out of single-use plastic bottles and containers across its entire brand portfolio. It follows on from the company’s pledge to remove single-use plastic straws from all of its hotels by the end of this year.

The phase-out has already begun, with the voco brand currently offering bulk-size Aveda amenities designed to retain their brand quality long after first use. Six Senses offers ceramic dispensers across its network, while Kimpton Hotels is currently adapting its hotels to bulk-size products.

InterContinental Hotels Group CEO Keith Barr said it was now more important than ever for companies to challenge themselves to operate responsibly.

“We know it’s what our guests, owners, colleagues, investors and suppliers rightly expect,” he said.

“Switching to larger-size amenities across more than 5,600 hotels around the world is a big step in the right direction and will allow us to significantly reduce our waste footprint and environmental impact as we make the change.”