HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0064.106 2010-2012 Murashige, Laura Rai- " 17 / Co ►tA M. 64 CiouNcit..
From Lee McIntosh [lee @cartoonistforchrist.org] r'
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2011 1:00 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us c
Subject: 2/16/2011 Council Meeting T e s t i m o n y _ 1 F
Mr. Chair and Members of the Council:
Aloha, my name is Lee McIntosh. I live in Discovery Harbour. I am not in favor of
bill 17, which bans businesses from providing plastic checkout bags. Rather than
institute a ban at a time that will be difficult for businesses and consumers to adopt, I
encourage the Council to adopt amendments that will support recycling, reusing, and using
compostable plastic bags. Our society is not ready for implementing a plastic bag ban
yet. The alternative, reusable cloth bags, are expensive, unhealthy, and have recently
been found to contain high amounts of toxic lead.
I have several concerns about this bill:
1. The reasons listed are insufficient and could describe any number of items.
2. This bill violates policy in the General Plan to encourage the concept of recycling by
refusing to allow plastic bags to be recycled.
3. Thorough research has not been conducted because no distinction is made between
compostable and non - compostable plastic. Compostable plastic is plastic which is "capable
of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as part of an available program,
such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide,
water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable
materials (e.g. cellulose). and leaves no toxic residue." American Society for Testing &
Materials (ASTM). In order for a plastic to be called compostable, three criteria need to
be met:
Biodegrade - break down into carbon dioxide, water, biomass at the same rate as cellulose
(paper).
Disintegrate - the material is indistinguishable in the compost, that it is not visible
and needs to be screened out.
Eco- toxicity - the biodegradation does not produce any toxic material and the compost can
support plant growth.
http:// www. worldcentric. org /biocompostables /bioplastics
4. This bill is anti - business by only targeting businesses.
5. This bill will place an additional burden on our limited police force by requiring them
to enforce these measures.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on bill 17.
Lee McIntosh
Comm. No. 61 AS
Ref. To: P/eae. Cuwt t.i
1
Ref. carte FEB 16 2011