HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0664.175 2014-2016 l.r
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RCA PigQ'n
Aloha Council Members, my name is Elizabeth Elkjer, I am here as a representative of Sustainable Island
Products, a small family owned company based out of Hilo Hawaii.We currently serve over 300
customers on the Big Island. I am here in support of Bill 140 and opposition of Bill 204.
What I have here in front of me are examples of the very stuff we are here to discuss today. On one side,
you can see a sleeve of 100 9" 3 compartment clamshells made out of polystyrene. On the other,you
can see the exact same clamshells,9"3 compartment, but made out of compostable plant fiber.The
other thing you will see are two bottles, both filled with seawater,one with polystyrene pieces, and the
other with pieces from the same type of compostable clamshell you see in front of you. Lastly,you can
see a picture of a compostable luau tray piled high with kalua pork, rice, chili,sweet and sour fish,ahi
belly, mac salad and more.
Three things should be apparent in this comparison:
1) Space. Polystyrene takes up a substantially larger amount of space.This has a huge impact of
our rapidly filling landfills. Our landfills are comprised of approximate 8%plastic,and
polystyrene is estimated at 1.5%-2%of that volume. By voting yes for Bill 140,this reduces the
waste entering our landfills by 1.5-2%which would save the county between $675,000-
$900,000 annually.Additionally,the County of Hawaii recently received tens of millions of
dollars for a composting facility to be built on this island,that means that all the space that the
polystyrene takes up would not only be eliminated but actually turned into a product for the
county.
2) Life Cycle. By looking at the two bottles filled with seawater,you can see a noticeable difference
between the polystyrene pieces and the compostable clamshell pieces.The compostable
clamshell has started to breakdown after only a few weeks in seawater while the polystyrene
looks exactly same as it did when it was put in the bottle, and it will continue to look that way
for hundreds,even thousands of years.
3) Performance. Compostables can perform the same if not better than their polystyrene
alternatives as evidenced by this luau tray piled high with some of our most loved local foods.
The last thing I would like to say is the price difference between polystyrene(which doesn't account for
its life cycle costs) and a compostable alternative is anywhere from 5 cents to 25 cents, depending upon
the item.You can't even get a gumball at a grocery store machine for 25 cents anymore. It's at most, 1
quarter.That's the cost for a better future for Hawaii,to me and the majority of consumers that's,well
worth it.
Thank you for your time.
COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAII
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Ref. Date MAY OS 201 ,