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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0064.087 2010-2012 Page 1 of 2 PICOUNaL Murashige, Laura 13: L.i, 17 Gtr 0ILT (.4. 67, From: Donna Goodale [dgoodale @hualalai.org] Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 1:13 PM To: County Clerk Cc: Dave Hirt; 'Kate Mulligan'; 'Marc Saks' Subject: 4 sets of Plastic Bag Testimony Attachments: DGoodaleBagTestimonyFeb2011 .doc; AnthonyPTestimony.doc; Testimony for Bill #17 Saffy's.docx Dear County Clerk: Please find one testimony below and 3 additional sets of testimony attached for Bill #17, plastic bag reduction. Thank Donna Goodale Hualalai Academy Testimony for Bill 17 (Plastic Bag Reduction) Sarah Bellatti age: 12 P.O. Box 637, Kealakekua, HI 96750 sarahbel latti7 @yahoo.com Dear County Council Members, I have been to these testimonies several times on the subject of Bill Number 17, Plastic Bag Reduction. I was listening to a man from Hilo testify and say that the alternative for reducing plastic bags would be a switch to paper bags, a change that would be bad for the environment. As I was siting in my chair, I was itching to burst out that the man had only brought up one alternative instead of plastic bags. Although this is one of the alternate bag options, please keep in mind that this is not the only option we have. We can switch to reusable bags which cost around .50 -$1 and last and carry much more then a plastic bag does! Reusable bags are a safe and environmental friendly way to carry groceries or items to and from places. Paper bags are not our only option and if we're only going in for 2 -3 items, we can just use are arms to carry them. Another aspect I would like to bring into perspective is how people are worried that they won't have any bags to pick up their dog poop with. An alternative to this is to use chip, cracker, or bread bags that so many of us purchase on a regular basis. I have also found multiple online sites in which they sell biodegradable dog bags for a low price. They are eco friendly and now people with dogs will not have to worry about their pets waste. I know that I personally use plastic bags for holding Plumeria flowers that I have picked off my trees. I though admit to having used baskets instead of my usual plastic bag, which is another alternative for holding groceries or in my case, flowers. Many of the people who have testified against a Plastic Bag Reduction are afraid of a change in their daily lives. We all have to admit, we have grown accustomed to our "shopping helpers" who make our weekly trip to the store so much more bearable and easier on our Comm. No. 6 — Ref. To: 4reserd 3/1 /2011 Ref. Dote „jl@ L,Z—ZMI-- Page 2 of 2 limbs. But we can change, humans can change. We did it from horse and carriage to gas powered cars and from growing our own food to microwave ovens. These are both changes that our great grandparents or grandparents have made. If they can make the change, so can we. We will still have our "shopping helpers," even better ones that are more like strong super heros compared to the flimsy plastic bags. So lets make the change, and pass Bill Number 17, Plastic Bag Reduction and see our world and island happier and healthier. Thank you. -- This message has been checked by ESVA and is believed to be clean. 3/1/2011 Testimony for Bill # 17 (Plastic Bag Reduction) February 1, 2011 Donna R. Goodale 73 -5403 Kohanaiki Rd. Kailua -Kona, HI 96740 808 - 325 -1472 donna g goodale.org Hualalai Academy Science and Math Teacher West Hawaii Fisheries Council I support the bill to reduce the use of plastic bags distributed to customers at checkout. I am a teacher at Hualalai Academy and the students I have brought with me today are going to testify in favor of this bill. They will present statistics on the following points about Plastic Checkout Bags: 1. Plastic bags are made from oil. The average car can drive 1 mile on the oil it takes to make 14 plastic bags. For the number of bags used each day, we could drive our cars 71,428,571 miles more each day. 2. A reduction in use of plastic bags and thus oil, would reduce our need for more oil, and thus reduce the need to drill in sensitive ecosystems such as the deep water in the Gulf of Mexico. 3. It costs $4,000 to recycle 1 ton of plastic bags. The resulting product is then worth only $32 making recycling of plastic check -out bags uneconomical. 4. It only costs $0.01 -$0.04 to make a plastic bag but it cost $0.17 a bag in cumulative costs to clean up the mess they make, etc. 5. Plastic makes up 90% of the trash in the ocean and plastic bags are the most common plastic item in the ocean 6. Over 100,000 marine animals die each year due to ingestion of, or entanglement in plastic bags. Land animals such as cows and their calves also ingest plastic bags and die. 6. Plastic bags take from 400 to 1000 years to decompose. 7. Re- usable bags are inexpensive and it is easy to change our habits to use a re- usable bag. Life goes on in places such as San Francisco where check -out bags have been banned. Maui and Kauai are adjusting to their new regulations. 8. In place of "check -out" bags, other types of discarded plastic bags can be put to alternate uses instead of check -out bags. For example an old bread bag, tortilla bag, or chip bag can be used to pick up dog feces. 9. Garbage bags made from recycled plastic are very inexpensive and can be used to line trash cans. They are "recycled" already and they come in various sizes making them superior to using a "check -out bag ". 10. Nothing is "free ". The cost of "free" check -out bags is incorporated into the cost of retail items. Please support Bill 417 to reduce the use of plastic bags distributed to customers at checkout. Sincerely, D a�uca � GioodaQe Anthony Palleschi Age 12 73 -1098B Ahikawa Str. antone8998 @gmail.com Bill 17 So far the US has been affected a ton in this economic crisis, Hawaii has been affected too. But I'm supposed to sit here today and listen that most people in the US barely have enough money to support their family. We are short on money; we owe other countries more than 14 trillion dollars! That's more than the three richest people in the world combined. Most of our money we get from oil and we are very short on oil. We need to conserve as much as possible. But every single day oil is being wasted on one certain item that can easily be replaced. The answer is two words, PLASTIC BAGS. Americans use about 38 billion plastic bags a year. That's 16 million barrels of oil out the door. It costs 90$ per barrel of oil. That's one billion forty four hundred million dollars we could save by abolishing plastic bags alone. That could help the US pay of our debt, but N0000, What are we spending this money on? A bag that we use once to carry our groceries? This has to stop. If we ban plastic bags here, that would give other cities and even states an example to ban the money burner, plastic take -out bag. Reduce the plastic, ban the take out bag! Testimony for Bill #17(Plastic Bag Reduction Bill) Saffron Datta 13yrs, 8th grade P.O. box 1070, 96704 Captain Cook, Hi meevedol7@gmail.com 2/28/11 Successfully Changed Places Good Morning County Council, I am for the passing of Bill #17.1 have researched this topic and presented twice to you already about possible dangers and risks involved with plastic shopping bags. I now come to you to show that this is not a new idea and that it has worked in other places. The place that I would like to talk about is San Francisco. This city is also in the U.S. and has successfully made the change. The first idea that was put to consideration was placing a 17cent tax on all petroleum based plastic bags. The final decision was to reduce the sale of the bags by 10 million for a year. A disagreement followed over how many were actually used. Leading to the next idea, banning the bags completely. It was agreed after 2 votes to ban the plastic shopping bags from large markets and chain pharmacies. They could still use compostable plastic bags and recyclable paper bags. Enforcement is used by number of violations per year starting at $100 or less for first violation and becoming $500 or less for each violation after your 2nd violation. One problem that occurred in Los Angeles is that there are no composting places near the city that could process biodegradable bags. In Ireland, placing a 15cent bag fee has raise lots of money for the green fund and for waste reduction. Remembering to bring the reusable bag is one problem that occurs often. Here are some solutions remembering the bag. If you are a parent, ask your kids to remind you. Dog owners have attach it to the dog's leash. Bikers have connecting it to their bikes. Some people always leave them in the car after emptying groceries. Keeping it in a backpack or a purse. Some bags fold up small enough to fit in your pocket. I am for this bill and it's amendment enforcing the bill with a fine. It has been done by many places. Why can't we? Thank you for your time.