HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0067.005 2010-2012 Plastic bag reduction Page I of I
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From: Gillian Culff [gculff@parkerschool.net]
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 11:08 AM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Plastic bag reduction
Dear County Council Members,
I am deeply concerned about the proliferation of plastics. Plastics contain toxic chemical components
that endanger our health by leaching into our foods (e.g. plastic liners in aluminum cans and take-out
cups) or coming into direct contact with the most vulnerable members of our population (plastic baby
toys still being manufactured). Ultimately, much of the plastic we use in our daily lives and then toss
away winds up in the oceans, endangering marine animals, including already threatened and endangered
species. For example, Pacific albatrosses that live in a protected habitat feed off of plastic debris fished
out of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and then feed this detritus—plastic bottle caps, bits of plastic
grocery bags, etc-- to their young, unwittingly killing off their own offspring.
As an island state, Hawaii is especially susceptible to the ills of plastics, which find their way onto our
beaches via picnickers and into our streams. Ultimately, much of this toxic trash finds its way from the
beaches and streams into the ocean, strangling turtles and filling the bellies of marine birds, mammals
and other animals. Given our limited landfill space, we should be asking ourselves if we can really
afford to keep using and disposing of so much plastic trash.
The residents of Hawaii County have both the ability and the responsibility to help stem the tide of all
this trash through the reduction of plastic bags. Some of the natural food stores on the island—such as
Island Naturals in Kainaliu-- have already eliminated bags; customers are required to bring their own
bags or re-use boxes the store receives as packaging for grocery goods. All of the island's major
supermarkets offer credits for re-used bags and canvas totes. Making this sort of change is not so
difficult. In Ireland, when a tax was imposed on plastic bags provided by stores, the nation saw an
immediate and notable decrease (about 80%) in the use of disposable plastic bags. To avoid the tax,
people brought their own bags—a successful initiative by any measure.
As a resident who cares about our aina and our oceans, I ask you to support the reduction of plastic bag
use in any and every way possible. Whether we impose a tax on plastic bags, offer an incentive to stores
for not supplying them or ban them outright, I am in favor of making progress toward the elimination of
this waste from our environment. I hope you are too.
Sincerely,
Gillian Culff
PO Box 444
(66-1668 Wai'aka Place)
Kamuela, HI 96743
Comm. No.
Ref. To: 2
Ref. Date FEE( I nit
1/31/2011