HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0482.200 2024-2026From: Malama Aina
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Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 8:58 AM
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To: Council Testimony
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Subject: Support Bill 83 - Kona Smith Testimony
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Aloha Hawaii County Council,
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My name is Kona Smith. I am a Zero Waste Youth Advocate for Malama Aina Compostables and a senior
at Ka'u High School. We strive to divert waste from going into the landfill, and single use plastic is not
only keeping us from our goal but it's affecting the land that we came from. It is full of history and
knowledge that is key to my community. If we continue to use single -use plastic, communities will find
that zero waste practices are not necessary. So we work together to create behavioral change campaigns
not only with the students but with the community to warn them about the dangers of plastic and ways to
eliminate its use.
I am writing to strongly urge you to support Bill 83, Draft 2, and its amendments, and to send a favorable
recommendation to the County Council. Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to our island's
health, ecosystems, and future generations.
Everyyear, more than 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean, breaking down into microplastics
that now contaminate our air, water, and even human blood and organs. Hawai`i's marine life —turtles,
seabirds, and fish —are ingesting plastics at alarming rates, and these same toxins enter our food chain.
Mahalo,
Kona Smith
Ocean View, HI 96704
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Ref. Date 025