BIL 326 Draft 01 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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J~tv.os k1~ COUNTY OF HAWAII ,•'~ ~• ';la::: ql~ GF •N~,i~ ORDINANCE NO. STATE OF HAWAII BILL NO. 326 AN ORDINANCE AMENllING CHAPTER 20, HAWAII COUNTY CODE 1983 (2005 EDITION, AS AMENDED) BY ADDING A NEW ARTICLE 5 PERTAINING TO PLASTIC BAG REDUCTION. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF TI-IE COUNTY OF HAWAI`L• SECTION 1. Purpose and findings. The production and use of non-biodegradable plastic bags have significant impacts on the environment, including: contributing to unsightly litter; contributing to injuries and potential death of marine and pasture animals through ingestion and entanglement; requiring the use of millions of barrels of crude oil for their manufacture when there is a limited supply of that natural resource; and creating a burden on County landfills because of increased air pollution resulting from the particular inert chemical composition and the inordinate length of time for any substantial decomposition to occur. The council finds that to preserve the health, safety, welfare, and scenic and natural beauty of the County of Hawaii, the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags must be regulated. The Hawaii County general plan's Environmental Quality Element 4.3 specifies the following policies for the County: "(a) Take positive action to further maintain the quality of the environment. (b) Reinforce and strengthen established standards where it is necessary, principally by initiating, recommending, and adopting ordinances pertaining to the control of pollutants that affect the environment.... (d) Encourage the concept of recycling agricultural, industrial, and municipal waste material." The council recognizes the need to proactively address the universally recognized environmental harm resulting from the proliferation of plastic bags. The purpose of this article is to reduce the use ofnon-biodegradable plastic bags and to encourage the use of environmentally preferable alternatives, such as recyclable paper bags or reusable bags. While the best outcome to this regulatory plan would be to encourage consumers to routinely b.y.o.b. (bring your own reusable bag), this bill takes a more limited approach by initially only prohibiting petroleum- based, non-biodegradable plastic bags, but allowing compostable (usually plant-based) plastic bags; and then four years hence, prohibiting compostable plastic bags that are harmful to other species when they become entangled in the bags or accidentally ingest the bags. The current bill addresses only non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags which are distributed to customers as checkout bags, and not other non-biodegradable plastic bags which are used for garbage, greenwaste, etc.