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<br />Nicole Chatterson, Director <br />Zero Waste Oahu <br /> <br /> <br />We have an important task in front of us reassessing, redesigning, and rejecting the systems, policies and <br />mindsets that have created a plastic pollution crisis. Plastic is a powerful and important material. And, we <br />have misused this material by overproducing short-lived, single-use plastic products. The impacts of this <br />misuse have caught up with us. <br /> <br />Our coastlines, waterways, and seafloors are inundated <br />with visible and invisible pieces of deteriorating plastic. These plastics suffocate ecosystems and pollute <br />food chainsthreatening the well-being of many, including marine life, seabirds, and humans. <br /> <br />--y marketed to the <br />public. Today, plastic is the fastest growing sector of the oil industry, generating $400 billion annually. The <br />quantified. <br /> <br />An ever-growing chorus of scientists, business owners, parents, students, and folks from every walk of life <br />is calling for change. We now know that recycling, once promised as cure-all for the negative impacts of <br />excessive plastic use, is not our best tool. Under 10% of the plastic ever made has been recycled. Recycling <br />can no longer be an excuse to not reduce. So how do we start? <br /> <br />We stop the over-production and consumption of unnecessary single-use plastic. We judiciously keep <br />plastic in applications where it is necessary. We innovate better materials and we check our consumption. <br />Today, brave leaders are reminding us of what we once knewthat there are limits. That we can do more <br />iousincluding <br />plasticso we should use them with care. <br /> <br />When I advocated for SB522, the bill that created this working group, it was with the hope that the State <br />Legislature would enact laws based on the abundance of science that has demonstrated why things must <br />change. The public voice has loudly requested our leadership to keep all stakeholdersproducers and <br />consumers alikeaccountable to reduce our collective plastic footprint. We need changefor the sake of <br /> <br /> <br />This w <br />have been in conversation about this issue for decadesit is now time to act. This report offers our <br />legislators many ways in which that can be done. Extending the responsibility to producers to manage <br />product <br /> <br /> <br />reminds us, nothing is out of our reach if we do it together. <br /> <br />16 <br /> <br /> <br />