The question of sustainability is an interesting one. I suspect most people on this forum's preconceptions of what is sustainable is fundamentally wrong. For instance, the use (and ideally reuse) of plastic bags is more environmentally friendly than using paper bags or even reusable totes. For instance, an organic cotton bag would need to be used 20,000 times before it is better for the environment than plastic bags [
Source]. In addition, the use and consumption of plastic products is arguably better for the environment than the alternative: using those petrochemicals to fire up our cars and natural gas powered furnaces and electric plants!
To answer OPs question, yes the use of recyclable service items is a thin in the Americas be it with airlines or hotels. I recall coming back to Canada during XMAS and ordering a sandwich from Starbucks. When I requested a knife and a fork to cut my sandwich they gave me plastic ones. Needless to say, I went through 2 or 3 of them to enjoy the sandwich. Again, I just absolutely hate using the temporary cutlery be it on airplanes, in lounges or at hotels. Every time I cut a waffle I cut through the darn plate.
I suspect most, if not all hotels have some sort of dishwasher. At the very least, they'll need to clean service items from the room such as mugs and glasses. Even if the rooms don't have service items, the bar and on-site restaurant most likely will! Also, not all dishwashers cost tens of thousands of dollars to install, service and use. A quick gander
at the Home Depot shows a qwality dishwasher can be had for < $400.
Safe Travels,
James
Safe Travels,
James