HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0482.123 2024-2026'114 FIA
HAWAII FOOD INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
1050 Bishop St. PMB 235
Honolulu, HI 96813
P: 808-533-1292 1 e:
info(o) h awa i ifood. com
Executive Officers
Kit Okamoto, Okimoto Corp., Chair
Jayson Watts, Mahi Pono, Vice Chair
Jill Tamura, Tamura Super Market, Secretary/Treasurer
Lauren Zlrbel, HFIA, Executive Director
Paul Kosasa, ABC Stores, Advisor
Derek Kurisu, KTA Superstores, Advisor
Toby Taniguchi, KTA Superstores, Advisor
Joe Carter, Coca-Cola Bottling of Hawaii, Advisor
Eddie Asato, Pint Size Hawaii, Advisor
Gary Okamoto, *Safeway, Advisor
P PCENR M
bill 83
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TO: Committe on Environmental and Natural Resource Management
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FROM: HAWAI'I FOOD INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
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Lauren Zirbel, Executive Director
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DATE: October 21, 2025
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RE: Relating to Bill 83 Draft 2
Position: Comments
The Hawai'i Food Industry Association is comprised of two hundred member companies
representing retailers, suppliers, producers, manufacturers and distributors of food and
beverage related products in the State of Hawaii.
Dear Chair Villegas, Vice Chair Kagiwada, and members of the Committee,
HFIA appreciates the amendments that have been made to the measure to ensure that it
applies only to prepared food.
In order to ensure that our local food businesses are able to effectively enact this measure
we request that it be amended to allow BPI certified compostable items that do not bear
the BPI mark on the item itself. Several brands of compostable utensils, lids, and certain
other items that are BPI certified have the BPI mark on the case, but the items themselves
are not always visibly labeled as compostable with the BPI certification mark.
We ask that Section 20-05-02 be amended as follows:
"Any food provider, business, or County facility user, selling, distributing, or otherwise
providing prepared food to the public shall do so using disposable foodware or with
disposable serviceware that is CMA-certified or visibLy labeLed as eempostabie With ft is BPI
certified eertifleation mark, or foodware or serviceware that is reusable.
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Ref. TO: F
Ref. Date OC 2 1 2025
We also believe that the Committee should be aware that for prepared food the types of
containers mandated in this measure are frequently several times as expensive as the
plastic equivalent. This is especially true for the types of containers needed to safely
contain food that is hot, liquid, spicy, oily, or acidic. This will increase operating costs for
local businesses that have to switch to these types of containers, and some of that cost
will need to be passed on to customers in the form of increased food prices.
We urge the committee to be aware of the potential negative impacts of this measure
when considering passage, and implementation timeline.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
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