HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0664.158 2014-2016 PicotDIcrL
-3LLL 140
Murashige, Laura COMM- (D4
From: Brendan Roberts <b.bigisland@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2016 2:36 PM
To: Kanuha, Dru; Paleka, Daniel; Council Testimony
Subject: StyroBan
Attachments: Styroban140.Letter.ConsciousCultureCafe.pdf
Aloha,
Please consider the following opinion from your constituency when ruling on this bill.
Mahalo
Brendan RobertsL-:-
Co-Creator
-.v
Co-Creator Big Island Booch/
Conscious Culture Cafe
i1
Comm. No.
Ref. To:_ f_LD'.
Ref. Date JUN 0 3 2016
1
Brendan Roberts
Big Island Booch INC dba
Conscious Culture Café
110 Keawe St. Hilo HI,96720
Conscious Culture Café
May 31,2016
Dear members of the Hawaii County Council,
My wife and I are the owners of The Conscious Culture Café in Downtown Hilo.We are both restaurant veterans
and long-term residents of East Hawaii. In our extensive experience in restaurants,waste management has
generally been poor and it has been hard to accept the large amount of rubbish created and landfilled on our
beautiful islands, littered in our decreasingly pristine ocean,and washed up on our beaches.The absolute worst of
these being single use, non-recyclable, and NEVER biodegradable take out containers. In my years as a chef in
Hawaii, I have, on multiple occasions,even found plastic and Styrofoam in the bellies of Hawaiian fish O. Largely
for these reasons,we both left our restaurant jobs to try to break the mold and help to create a more sustainable
industry.
When we opened our café in Hilo in 2014,we felt that we must make more responsible decisions
regarding packaging and waste.So,we choose to use entirely compostable take-out containers,we also recycle all
recyclables,and compost food waste. All H15 items are picked up by a special needs youth embarking on his own
business endeavor. Food scraps picked up by a local farmer to feed their chickens and create valuable compost to
return to the land. Each day we serve several hundred customers and we produce less than one bag of trash. I
don't say these things to toot our own horn, but rather to illustrate that these small hurdles can easily be
surmounted at no, minimal,or pass-through cost.
Though we do put some additional labor towards responsible waste management and compostable
containers are more costly(monetarily only)than their Styrofoam counterparts,THIS IS NOT DEVASTATING TO OUR
BUSINESS AND IT DOES NOT CREATE A HARDSHIP,as Mr. Chung, Mr Onishi,and many opponents of the styro-ban
have suggested may be a factor to consider. I must admit that initially we were concerned about costs related;but
these worries quickly proved unwarranted. Our customers are informed through signage and verbally that we
choose to be a sustainable Ocean friendly establishment.They are happy to pay a few cents extra for their meal to
help sustain these lands and waters for our generations to come.They are excited about separating their food
scraps to feed the chicks and their recyclables to support the youth. Consumers understand that in 2016 there is a
lot more to consider when choosing how to spend your dollars than whose plate lunch is cheapest,or whose
portions are largest.A few pennies per order is NOT too much to care for our'Aina and in our experience,these
pennies come back tenfold.
.Additionally,we feel that independently addressing littering,will not solve our waste problems.Whether
styrofoam is carelessly strewn,or carefully placed in a waste bin,it is rubbish,it is not from here,and it is here
forever.
We too are"local guys trying to make a go."The inclusion of sustainable practices in our business has
been a major positive contribution to our model and our success.We fully support the styro-ban and feel that the
only thing being"overlooked"is the immediate need for responsible stewardship of our lands and waters.
Sincerely,
Brendan Roberts
Co-Creator
Big Island Booch Kombucha/
Conscious Culture Cafe