HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0482.170 2024-2026November 5, 2025
COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
RECEIVED
To: Hawaii County Council Time 10:47arr. By
From: Sandy Iwashita Date, NOV 0 4 2025
Sandys Drive In
RE: Bill 83 - Relating to Plastic and Polystyrene Waste
Position: Oppose (with recommendations)
Dear Chair Inaba, Vice Chair Onishi, and Members ofthe Committee:
My name is Sandy Iwashita, and I am the Owner of Sandys Drive In. We are a small family
run restaurant that serves local food to locals and tourists alike. We do catering as well for
Events, Parties, Funerals, etc., and have been owned by me since 1966. 1 believe that Bill 83
would create problems for local businesses and raise food prices -without helping the
environment in a tangible way. The cost will unfortunately have to be passed on to the end
consumer which is the people of Hawaii and tourists.
No Composting Facility
Hawaii County does not have a composting facility that can process the containers
required under this bill. That means even "compostable" packaging will end up in
the landfill. If the County wants to ban certain materials, there should first be a
system in place to process the new materials properly. Otherwise, we are adding
costs without reducing waste.
2. Higher Costs for Businesses and Families
Restaurants and takeout spots depend on the containers and utensils this bill would
ban. The compostable versions are much more expensive:
a. Compostable forks cost twice as much as current plastic forks.
b. Compostable containers cost at least 40% more than the containers most
places use today.
When small businesses pay more for supplies, they have no choice but to raise
prices. That means families end up paying more for meals, at a time when everything
is already more expensive.
3. Food Safety and Quality Problems
Compostable c o n t a i n e r s do not hold up well in real life.
a. Hot or oily food looks through or melts the lid.
b. Compostable forks and spoons break or get soft in hot foods or soups.
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As one local restaurant owner said, "The compostable container leaks -you can't
store the food too long, and the cover mefts."If containers fail, the food becomes
unsafe, and customers lose trust in local businesses.
4. Different Rules Across Counties
Each county in Hawai'i has its own packaging rules, which makes things very
confusing for businesses that sell in more than one county. We support making
Hawai'i County's rules match Honolulu's law (Ordinance 19-30), That law already
gives businesses and the environment a fair balance and is something many
suppliers already follow.
6. Better Ways to Improve the Bill
Instead of a full ban, we suggest a few changes to make the bill more realistic:
a. Allow Type 5 (polypropylene) plastics -These are reusable, recyclable, and
safe for hot food. They are a practical and proven option.
b. Wait until composting facilities exist- Do not require materials that the island
cannot process yet.
c. Study the economic impact- Understand how much this change would really
cost small businesses and customers before passing it.
6. Conclusion
Everyone wants to protect Hawai'i's environment -we do too. But Bill 83 goes too
far, too fast. It raises costs, makes food packaging less safe, and does not reduce
landfill waste because the right facilities do not exist yet.
We ask the Committee to hold off on passing this bill and take more time to build the
infrastructure and find solutions that truly work for our island.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Sandy Iwashits
Owner
Sandys Drive In
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