HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0482.052 2024-2026From: Nohea Ka'awa
Sent: Monday, September 15, 2025 10:28 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony in Support of Bill 83 Reducing Disposable Plastic and Polystyrene
Foodware
o
u
C')
On
Testimony in Support of Bill 83
ro
C
zE
Reducing Disposable Plastic and Polystyrene Foodware
z�
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
4?
w
"He ali'i ka'aina, he kauwa ke kanaka.": The land is chief, and we are its servants.
y
This'olelo no'eau reminds us of our kuleana to care for the'aina and kai that sustain us. When we honor
the land, it provides for us. When we neglect it, we seethe harm reflected back in our waters, our food,
and the health of our families.
Every day across Hawai'i Island, we see the negative impact of plastics and polystyrene on our home.
From trash along our beaches to microplastics in the ocean and sands of where our keiki swim and in
areas where we fish, it is clear that these materials do not belong here. They harm the land, the sea, and
all living things that depend on them. We've seen plastics in the betty's of the fish we catch, we've
experienced entanglement and death on our marine life and by supporting this bill, you can help to make
a positive difference for us and our environment.
Bit[ 83 offers us an opportunity to realign with our values and to choose options that are healthier, more
sustainable, and more reflective of aloha'aina. It supports those in our community who have already
made the shift to alternatives, and it shows future generations thatwe are willing to make decisions
today that protect their tomorrow.
This bill is notjust about reducing waste, it is about living pono. It is about caringfor the land and ocean
that care for us. It is about making sure that when our keiki and mo'opuna look back, they see that we
stand to support decisions that treat our land with respect and aloha.
For these reasons, I strongly urge you to pass Bill 83.
Mahalo nui Loa for your time and leadership,
Nohealani Ka'awa
Comm.
Ref. To: FROMME
Ref. Date 16 2025