COM 1332.033 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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September 19, 2008 The Honorable Pete Hoffmann, Chairperson, and Council Members Page 4 However, there is also the lazger issue of whether an outright ban on plastic bags is the best way of getting to where we want to go in our stewardship of the environment. These additional comments are offered: There is no universal consensus that a ban on plastic bags is a good thing for the environment. Attached are two documents from The ULS (Use Less Stuff Report. One is a study titled "Review of Life Cycle Data Relating to Disposable, Compostable, Biodegradable, and Reusable Grocery Bags". This document, which is an examination of a number of third-party research reports, states in part: "Legislation designed to reduce environmental impacts and litter by outlawing grocery bags based on the material from which they are produced will not deliver the intended results. While some litter reduction might take place, it would be outweighed by the disadvantages that would subsequently occur (increased solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions). Ironically, reducing the use of traditional plastic bags would not even reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, as paper and biodegradable plastic bags consume at least as much non-renewable energy during their full lifecycle." The second attachment is an article titled, "It's Time for all of Us to Get Involved" from the April-May-June 2008 issue of The ULS Report. This article says in part: "By concentrating `green' efforts on paper vs. plastic bags and expecting government and business to take appropriate actions, the public is led to believe that environmental problems are being solved without the need to become significantly involved. Such complacency is dangerous, as it inadvertently relieves individuals of the responsibility to reduce their own consumption of materials and energy." In this same light, we should all be very proud of what the Department of Environmental Management and the people of our island have done in the past year. The Department's recycling staff has worked with our local merchants to help educate the public and encourage the use of reusable bags while making it easier to recycle plastic bags. You will notice that our supermazkets and large drug stores (and also retailers such as Wal*Mart and 7-Eleven) all offer inexpensive reusable bags in prominent locations. The supermarkets also offer bins for customers to deposit their plastic bags for recycling. I have noticed that the number of people who are buying and using reusable bags is steadily increasing. This is very exciting because it is happening through education, cooperation and people working together to take responsibility for their individual choices and actions. There is much more we can do as government to educate the public and encourage appropriate disposal of plastic bags. Just this year, the County began accepting plastic bags in the mixed recycling bins at our transfer stations and recycling centers. This can be much more widely publicized, and I am confident that Hawai`i's people can and will step up to the plate. The fact that our County leads the state in HIS redemption at 90% shows that we can learn and do what is right.