HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0664.032 2014-2016 Murashige, Laura
From: Susanne Sims <susannesims@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 12, 2016 11:46 AM
To: Council Testimony; Poindexter,Valerie; Chung, Aaron; Onishi, Dennis;Ilagan, Greggor;
Paleka, Daniel; David, Maile; Kanuha, Dru; Eoff, Karen;Wille, Margaret
Subject: Please support Bill 140!
Aloha:
I am writing to ask for your support of Bill#140 to ban Expanded Polystyrene(EPS)Foam.
Oceans world wide are in trouble! There are 5.3 trillion pieces of plastic currently floating in the ocean. By 2050 there will be more
plastic in the ocean than fish! 99%of all seabirds will have eaten plastic by 2050.
We cannot stand by and let marine life die nor allow the oceans to become trash dumps.
•EPS foam is not recycled nor is it recyclable on our island
• Hawai`i is the highest per capita user of EPS foam
• It is one of the most commonly found items littered on our beaches and washing up on our coastlines.
• It is mistaken for food by animals and has been found inside animals like albatross and sea turtles.
• Styrofoam contains styrene, which is a confirmed animal carcinogen and a suspected human carcinogen
(and styrene leeches from styrofoam when in contact with heat, making it a dangerous option for storing
hot food)
• 98% of foam is made of air, making it lightweight and a common item to fly out of trash cans and into
the environment(as well as making it harder to cleanup)
• Styrofoam is made from petroleum
• There are more eco-friendly alternatives including 100% compostable products (made from plants, not
petroleum)
• Businesses all over the islands are voluntarily making the switch away from Styrofoam
• Cities around the world have banned styrofoam for environmental and human health reasons
• University of Hawai`i at Mama passed a ban of styrofoam food products in April of 2012
Aloha,
-i
Susanne Sims
www.ThriftStoreMusical.com _ •
www.SusanneSims.com
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