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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0664.091 2014-2016 Murashige, Laura From: nrobert506 <nrobert506@aol.com> HIV?' o, 33 Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2016 4:13 AM To: Council Testimony Subject: In support of Bill 140 Aloha, Council Members Poindexter, Chung, Onishi, Ilagan, Paleka Jr., David, Kanuha, Eoff& Wille, As one of the concerned citizens of Hawaii and volunteers of Surfrider Foundation, and Hawai'i Wildlife Fund, I am writing in strong support of Bill 140. With thousands of supporters in Hawaii, we are committed to reducing the litter and environmental hazards of single-use plastics as part of our popular Rise Above Plastics campaign. Polystyrene food products are one of the most littered items in our Islands, and at recent cleanups of the Kona Coast on Sat., April 16, we removed more than 432 foam pieces in less than two hours. Our Hilo and Kona Chapters support Bill 140 because of the health and environmental threats that affect all of us in Hawaii. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam containers are the most toxic and least recycled form of plastic (less than 1%), yet Hawaii has the highest per capita use in the country. During our monthly beach cleanups around the state,EPS foam products are among the top items we find every time. In fact, as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day last year, 1,519 pieces of Styrofoam were removed from Big Island beaches in a single day on Sat., Sept. 19th! That's why we need Bill 140, which would help reduce these litter problems and environmental issues by requiring restaurants and food service vendors to stop using toxic EPS foam containers. We embrace a policy of"1, 2, C,"meaning products should be recyclable #1 &#2 plastics or compostable, which is in line with the County's Zero-Waste Policy. There are many compostable or non-toxic plastic alternatives that can be recycled. This bill provides vendors and restaurants enough time to use their remaining inventory and transition to safer products, which hundreds of restaurants have already done without any problems. Although foam products may be cheaper to buy, they have a hidden cost that counties and citizens have to pay to clean them up. Although the FDA approved EPS foam products in 1958, the science since then has shown that these are toxic products. Here are some top reasons why EPS foam food service products are dangerous and wasteful: 1. EPS foam is a toxic form of plastic made from non-renewable fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals like styrene that leach out over time, especially in contact with hot, greasy or acidic food. 2. According to the National Institutes of Health(NIH), styrene is a dangerous carcinogen and neurotoxin that can lead to cancer, lymphoma and leukemia. The EPA says 100% of humans have styrene in their fat tissues. 3. Because EPS foam food service products are more than 90% air, they break apart easily and are often blown onto our coastal areas and out to sea, where they are listed as one of the top 5 items collected at beach cleanups. 4. EPS foam products never biodegrade but only photo-degrade into smaller micro-plastics. These pieces act like sponges for toxic chemicals in the ocean and are consumed by marine creatures who mistake them for food. 5. Hawaii has the highest per capita rate of take-out food in the country, and many food containers are 1 made of COMM; Na (D(0 • 61 1 Ref. Tisa Ref. Datey J 2 2AT6 EPS foam products whose toxic chemicals threaten the health of humans and the environment. 6. Most of these products are hauled to our overflowing landfills where they never degrade but begin to leach toxic chemicals like styrene, a known carcinogen. Along with the facts above,there have been many scientific studies showing the harmful effects of polystyrene foam. That is why we oppose Bill 240 because similar bills have been used to delay action on reducing the vast amounts of foam litter. In 2008,the Hawaii Senate passed SR78 SD 1 to create a voluntary compliance program to switch from foam products to healthier alternatives, but nothing was ever done to move this forward. And in 2014,the Honolulu City Council passed Resolution 14-175,to study the effects of foam and other single-use products,but the study was never done. The amount of testimony in both resolutions was overwhelmingly in favor of bills to reduce polystyrene food containers. But those legislative bodies seemed to have been swayed by the exaggerated claims of lobbyists for local foam producers and distributors. The irony is that these same companies already carry and distribute more eco-friendly recyclable and compostable products because they know the writing is on the wall. Scientific research and public sentiment have created a compelling case against their foam products, and more than 100 cities and counties have already enacted successful foam bans. We appreciate that this County Council has been an environmental leader in the state in moving forward policies like the bill create smoke-free parks and beaches, and we ask you to assert that same leadership on this issue. Because Polystyrene food service products are toxic to the environment and human health, their use should be reduced and eventually banned. There are many available and affordable alternatives that are non- toxic, biodegradable and pose no threats to the environment or human health and will cost the counties less to clean up. Protecting our land and people should be our top priority, not allowing a few companies to profit from outmoded products that harm the environment and our wildlife. Mahalo for your time and leadership on this issue and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Nadine Robertson POB 941 Mountain View, Hawai'i 96771 Cell phone: 808-896-4108 nrobert506@aol.com Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Tablet 2