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Murashige, Laura F/Cout4
From: Donna R. Goodale [donna @goodale.org]
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011 6:50 PM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: FW: Bill 17 - Plastic Bag Reduction
From: Molly Jacoby [mailto:mol.jac08O9 @gmail.com] _ J
Sent: Friday, January 28, 20119:17 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.us
Cc: Donna Goodale
Subject: Bill 17 - Plastic Bag Reduction -�
Molly Jacoby and Izzy Biehl
14 Years old
73 -4896 Manu -Mele St. Kailua -Kona 96740 HI
Mol,jac0
Bill 17 - Plastic Bag Reduction
Plastic shopping bags ( "PSBs ") adversely effect our environment, animals, people, and result
in a high demand for polyethylene, a fossil fuel product. 500 billion to 1 trillion PSBs are consumed
each year around the world. Plastic is made from fossil fuels, as is gasoline. Thus, plastic bag
manufacturing consumes fossil fuel that could be used for other, more important, purposes. By reducing
or eliminating PSB use we can greatly reduce the amount of fossil fuels consumed, thus benefiting the
environment. PSBs effect our environment, animals, people, and have a high demand for polyethylene.
PSBs adversely effect the environment. It takes 1,000 years for PSBs to break down. Even when
they are "broken down," PSBs are still not completely disintegrated. Since the PSBs are made from
polyethylene, even when they are "broken- down" they are still very toxic. It also causes air pollution
from when the PSBs produced in factories. Americans use approximately 1 trillion PSBs per year. Of
those 500 billion though 1 trillion PSBs, 1% are recycled. As polyethylene breaks down, toxic
substances leak into the soil and then enter the food chain.
Approximately 1 billion seabirds and mammals die per year by ingesting PSBs. Animals die
from suffocating, dehydration, and starvation from the PSBs. When the animals eat the PSBs, they clog
their intestines, preventing absorption of food and water. Sometimes the PSBs also get wrapped around
their necks and stop their breathing, and can stop their circulation. In 2008 a 10 ft alligator died from
eating 25 PSBs. 171 different species of animals wash up on the beaches dead from PSBs each year.
Wild animals are not the only ones that can die from PSBs. Sometimes babies will find the PSBs
around the house or maybe on the street. They could easily get their heads stuck in it and suffocate. 25
babies die each year in the United States from suffocating on PSBs. A viable solution to PSB use is the
use of biodegradable paper bags or reusable cloth bags. One store that has taken action to this problem
and doesn't use PSBs is Costco. They reuse packing boxes to load all the items in. Widespread use of
these solutions could prevent many deaths and make the world a safer and cleaner environment for all to
live in.
PSBs negatively affect our planet, and this needs to be changed before it's too late. Redu in the
Comm. No. 4
Ref. To: Or4rhiW C j u,
2/15/2011 Ref. Date FEB 16 2011
Page 2 of 2
amount of PSBs being consumed will bring us one step closer to a healthy environment for us to
live in. So, if you see a PSB blowing around on the street, do your part and pick it up; you will be
making a difference.
-- This message has been checked by ESVA and is believed to be clean.
2/15/2011