HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0482.297 2024-2026From: Tanya Yamanaka
Sent: Tuesday, December 2, 2025 8:20 PM
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To: Council Testimony oC-3
Subject: Bill 83 - Relating to Reduction of Plastic Foodware - Strong Support q .�c
Attachments: HCC Bill 83 Related to Plastic Foodware - 251203.pages
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Hawari County Council = -r:
Wednesday, December 3,2025 p '� N
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RE: Bill 83 - Relating to Reduction of Plastic Foodware -Strong Support
Dear Chair Inaba, Vice Chair Onishi, and Members of the Council,
On behalf of the Chamber of Sustainable Commerce (CSC) and our members across the state, we write in strong support of Bill 83, Draft 2, and its
amendments. The Chamber of Sustainable Commerce represents more than 500 small businesses and entrepreneurs across Hawal i committed to a
triple bottom line: people, planet and prosperity.
This legislation represents a long -overdue step toward aligning Hawai' i County's policies with the values of care, responsibility, and stewardship that
define a truly sustainable and regenerative economy. By reducing the use of unnecessary single -use plastic foodware and serviceware, this bill
protects not only our'aina and marine ecosystems but also the long-term wellbeing of our communities and future generations.
Bill 83 builds upon commitments already made through the Hawai' i County Zero Waste Resolution (356-07), the Integrated Solid Waste
Management Plan, and the Integrated Climate Action Plan. Supporting Bill 83 is not a new direction — it is the natural continuation of our County's
established commitments and shared vision. It also advances our State's Aloha+ Challenge Solid Waste Reduction Goals, helping us move closer to a
circular, regenerative economy that prioritizes people and planet over short-term convenience.
These examples reflect a global shift toward what the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAII) calls a "care economy'— one that values ecological
balance, community health, and shared prosperity. The Chamber of Sustainable Commerce embraces these same principles, promoting business
models that regenerate rather than deplete, and that measure success by the wellbeing of people and the planet, not by production alone.
By passing Bill 83, Hawari County will
• Reduce toxic plastic pollution and safeguard environmental and human health.
• Spur innovation and investment in reusable, compostable, and locally sourced alternatives.
• Advance local composting and food security initiatives and systems.
• Demonstrate governmental and business leadership rooted in care, foresight, and integrity.
• Align our local economy with global movements toward wellbeing -centered commerce.
We invite the County Council, and all local business and community leaders, to view Bill 83 as part of a larger transition toward a care -based
economy. One where business owners, entrepreneurs and innovators, and governance work together to cultivate thriving ecosystems, equitable
livelihoods, and resilient communities.
Mahalo for your commitment to the'aina and the people of Hawai'i Island.
Respectfully submitted in strong support.
Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian
Principal, Chamber of Sustainable Commerce
People, Planet, Prosperity
Call/text: 808.445.7606
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