HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0482.095 2024-20260 Upstream
September 12, 2025
Rebecca Villegas, Chair
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Jenn Kagiwada, Vice -Chair
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Policy Committee on Environmental and Natural Resources Management
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West Hawai'i Civic Center
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Hawai'i County
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Subject: Support with amendments for Bill No. 83
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Dear Chair Villegas, Vice -Chair Kagiwada, and Committee Members,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on behalf of Upstream in support of Bill No.
83, with suggested amendments. Upstream is a US -based non-profit and leading change
agency for the reuse movement in the US and Canada. We have been advocating for innovative
solutions to help people, communities and, businesses shift from single -use to reuse for over
twenty years. We believe that building reuse systems at the local level is the foundation to
creating a sustainable, circular future and we have been eagerly following Hawai'i County's
progress in establishing a local reuse system.
In our current linear economy, roughly 15% of wood harvested, 22% of aluminum mined, 36% of
plastic created, and half of glass produced goes primarily to making single -use packaging that is
consumed in a matter of minutes before it is trashed, littered, or possibly recycled. Bill No. 83
can help to upend this unsustainable and inefficient system if strong reuse provisions
are included. For the environment, for businesses and for investors, reusable foodware and
serviceware outcompete their single -use counterparts across every category of assessment. For
example, after only two washes, stainless steel cutlery breaks even with disposable cutlery in a
lifecycle impact assessment (LCA). If US cities and counties adopted reuse systems for
foodware and serviceware, foodservice businesses could save $5 billion annually by no longer
procuring disposables, while municipalities could equally save $5 billion annually on solid waste
management costs attributable to disposable food packaging.
Reusable foodware and serviceware deserve to be prioritized due to their outsized benefits for
communities and the environment, and their superior status on Hawai'i County's own waste
management hierarchy. Incorporating reuse into Bill No. 83 will set the County and its food
providers up for success with the upcoming reusable foodware program expected to launch next
year. We suggest three amendments to the bill as drafted that will strengthen the emphasis on
reuse as the County's preferred waste prevention strategy.
Upstream
PO BOX 1352, Damariscotta, ME 04543 Comm.
www.upstreainSOlutions.org 1 (813) 445-8981 Ref. To:
Ref. Date k2O25
First, in our experience it is crucial to have clear, strong definitions for reusable foodware and
serviceware to avoid possible loopholes. We therefore suggest rewording the definition of
"reusables" as follows to avoid a scenario wherein durable foodware or serviceware is treated
like single -use: "foodware and serviceware designed and manufactured for multiple uses
that is returned, sanitized, and recirculated multiple times for the same purpose in its
original format in a system for reuse."
Second, we recommend that Section 20-05-02 is revised to include "reusables" in the
body text. In its current iteration, reusables are part of the title, yet are not incorporated into the
main text, which requires food providers to use compostable foodware and serviceware. This
inconsistency creates ambiguity and does not encourage food providers to choose reusables. In
combination with the more detailed definition of "reusables" suggested above, encouraging food
providers to choose reusables will optimize the environmental and community benefits of the
bill.
Lastly, we advise the Council to add the following language to Section 20-05-04:
"Enforcement shall give priority to foodware and serviceware solutions for which complete
collection and processing systems are available in the region, including reuse services and
commercial composting facilities capable of processing the material provided. Where multiple
solutions are operational, priority may be determined at the discretion of the Director. In regions
without available infrastructure, enforcement shall focus on feasible compliance measures that
best align with the intent of this ordinance. "With much of the County and State lacking
commercial composting infrastructure that can accommodate compostable foodware or
serviceware and Hawai'i County preparing to launch a reusable foodware system'in Hilo, this bill
offers an opportunity to steer food providers toward the most sustainable options available
locally, in line with the County's waste reduction goals and infrastructure investments.
Approving Bill No. 83 is a critical step to reducing waste in Hawai'i County - a step that can be
further amplified by including robust reuse provisions. The addition of reuse will strengthen this
waste reduction policy and position Hawaii County as a leader in the state and across the reuse
movement.
We respectfully urge the Council to approve this bill with amendments for reuse in order to best
support Hawaii County's waste reduction goals. Please feel welcome to contact us at
kara@uostreamsolutions.ora or sydnevt7a uostreamsolutions.ora.
Thank you for all you do,
Sydney Harris, Upstream Policy Director
Kara Stepanik, Upstream Policy Intern