A heavily amended bill aiming to reduce plastic and polystyrene waste in Hawaii County was discussed by a County Council committee Wednesday before members voted to forward the next draft to the Environmental Management Commission for review and postpone further action until later this month.
Bill 83, introduced by Council members Rebecca Villegas and Michelle Galimba, would prohibit the sale and distribution of most single-use plastic and polystyrene foodware and serviceware by food providers and county facility users. The measure supports the county’s Zero Waste Plan and aligns with the state’s Aloha+ Challenge solid waste reduction goals.
The bill was discussed at the Council’s Policy Committee on Environmental and Natural Resource Management meeting and drew a high volume of public testimony. Some environmental advocates supported the proposal, while several business owners expressed concern over increased costs and compliance issues.
Council members adopted a series of amendments during Wednesday’s meeting. Among them was a clarification that the measure applies to commercial uses, a requirement for the director of Environmental Management to collaborate with a sustainability manager, and a more detailed definition of reusable foodware to help close enforcement loopholes.
One amendment, which would have more clearly
defined “prepared” versus “pre-packaged” food, was withdrawn in favor of similar language adopted through another amendment. The discussion raised questions about how the rules would affect local businesses — for example, a fried rice bowl from 7-Eleven would be considered pre-packaged, while a mixed plate from L&L Hawaiian BBQ would be considered prepared and would require compostable packaging.
Other approved changes included eliminating the option for customers to request plastic utensils or pick them up at self-service stations, and expanding the bill’s coverage to include events funded by county grants.
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Council member Ashley Kierkiewicz supported the bill, pointing to shifts already made by national chains and small businesses.
“I think about McDonald’s and Taco Bell … and Panda (Express) — all of these places have transitioned,” she said. “I cannot think of a single item that was plastic or styrofoam. Everybody’s putting things in the compostable containers, even the small food trucks when we go to Hilo Town Market. I think this is just to ensure that we’re catching everybody else that hasn’t caught up to where everybody else is at.”
Council member Jennifer Kagiwada noted that while Honolulu passed a similar bill earlier, the Hawaii County version attempts to improve on it.
“Oahu was first with their bill, but there were some issues with it,” she said. “We’re trying to make a bill that takes into account some of the ways that the bill didn’t quite meet its goals, and we’re trying to make this
one a little bit better.”
She added, “Oahu will probably follow us with this language anyway. … I don’t think we always have to wait for Oahu to do something before we do something.”
Still, some Council members and residents raised concerns.
Council member Dennis Onishi questioned the financial impact of switching to eco-friendly containers, especially in light of expected minimum wage increases. He also expressed concern about how compostable containers would hold up with liquid-heavy foods and asked about the potential for suppliers to stop servicing the island altogether.
He asked for cost estimates, but no numbers were provided.
Villegas responded that the goal is to transition away from single-use plastics that end up in the landfill and urged the council to keep the island’s long-term environmental health in mind.
“In no way do we want to harm our local businesses and agricultural products,” Villegas said during the meeting.
Council member Heather Kimball reflected on her time running a catering business. She said that while compostable containers are slightly more expensive, the difference is minor in the context of overall business expenses. She also noted improvements in the quality of compostable products.
Council member Matt
Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder said
his own small business had gone compostable and emphasized the need to strike
a balance between sustainability and business viability. Like Onishi, he also raised concerns about the definition of pre-packaged versus prepared food.
Chair Holeka Inaba reminded the committee to stay focused on the amendments and later asked whether it would be more
effective to keep the bill in committee while refining the details. Kimball recommended forwarding the bill’s next draft to the Environmental Management Commission and the director of the Environmental Management Department without moving it out of committee.
Villegas voiced concern about delays but agreed to the plan, noting that the commission and department will have up to 45 days to provide comments. The committee ultimately voted 9-0 to send the forthcoming draft to the commission for review and then voted 9-0 to postpone the bill until the committee’s Oct. 21 meeting.
The bill would go into effect one year after it is passed and signed by the mayor.
