ONE of the world’s biggest hotel companies has announced it will be removing all mini toiletries from rooms in the fight against plastic.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has almost 843,000 guest rooms including well-known hotel chains Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza.

Guests instead will see their toiletries switched to 'bulk-size bathroom amenities' with the transition set to be completed during 2021.

It makes IHG the first global hotel company to commit all brands to removing bathroom miniatures in favour of bulk-size amenities.

Keith Barr, CEO at IHG, said: “It’s more important than ever that companies challenge themselves to operate responsibly – we know it’s what our guests, owners, colleagues, investors and suppliers rightly expect.

"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.

IHG currently has an average of 200 million bathroom miniatures in use across its entire hotel estate every year.

Previously the company has already promised to remove plastic straws from its hotels by the end of 2019.

The switch has been tested at a number of hotels in America with Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas offering bathroom products in refillable ceramic dispensers and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants moving to larger sizes.

More than 1,000 Holiday Inn Express hotels have also already been implementing the change alongside a number of Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites properties.

The move has been welcomed by Greenpeace with a spokesman for the environmental group adding: "Just as shoppers have shown they're happy to bring their own bags to supermarkets, hotel guests are absolutely able to adapt and start bringing their own toiletries."