HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0107.006 2016-2018 ti
COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
RECEIVED
Time /:,� M By '/jn/
Date F4-73. 21i 2-0/7
CI OCEAN
FRIENDLY
RESTAURANTS
HAWAI`I
Tuesday, February 21St, 2017
Re: Bill 13
Members of the Council,
My name is Sarah Rafferty and I am a resident of Kailua Kona, Hawaii. I am a member of the
Kona Surfrider Chapter, and the local representative for the Ocean Friendly Restaurants Hawaii
Coalition- a group of 113 Hawaii restaurants operating successful businesses without using
expanded polystyrene. Thank you, Councilwoman O'Hara, for introducing this bill.
This is my fourth testimony before the council in support of EPS regulation. I'd like to share
several reasons why I keep showing up:
1) Use of EPS is entirely unnecessary.
There are many alternative products and materials that businesses can easily use in place of EPS.
These alternatives can seal,hold liquid, and insulate hot food. Despite false claims, these
materials are not cost-prohibitive for businesses to supply and use. The business at which I am
employed made the switch to using compostable cups last year on an item for which we gamer
zero cash return-this has not caused any financial hardship. Our customer are pleased to see that
they are spending dollars with a business that considers its own ecological footprint.
2) EPS is toxic to humans and marine life.
The Material Data Safety Sheet for expanded polystyrene states that EPS will begin to melt at
175 degrees F. If food is hot enough that you need to blow on it before ingesting, it's likely
around 180 degrees F. Styrene is a known human carcinogen. After it has been used for a few
minutes and tossed aside, it often breaks apart into smaller pieces and finds its way into our
streams and onto our beaches, where it is mistaken for food by birds and other marine life. As a
result, these animals experience intestinal blockage and unintentionally starve to death.
3) Marine debris control is necessary.
The trash on our beaches and our reefs- while not always locally produced- is now making
national headlines. We can no longer afford to play a contributing role in the proliferation of
toxic garbage in our state. A massive portion of our local economy depends heavily on the
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health of our oceans. Guests travel from all over the globe to enjoy Hawaii's natural resources,
and, as a result, many of us remain gainfully employed. The trash on our beaches will inevitably
affect local businesses and needs to be addressed head-on by our local government. There is no
reason for us to spend money shipping more non-biodegradable waste to and from our islands.
4) The public has spoken.
In 2016, over 5,000 individuals signed my petition to the County Council of Hawaii Island to ban
single-use EPS containers. At every hearing for Bill 140, the overwhelming majority of
testimony was in favor of an EPS ban. In 2011, a study conducted in Honolulu found that 81% of
respondents were in favor of a ban on EPS takeout containers (Barnes, et al). If Bill 13 faced
immediate implementation, it would still stand nearly 30 years behind the first EPS bans in the
United States.
5) These islands are worth it.
We are home to countless species,both endemic and endangered. We have miles and miles of
untouched coastline and world-class coral reef. We live in a place with a deep cultural history of
respect for the land-we should honor this without exception.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify, and for making choices that reflect an investment in the
health and future of our island and community
Sarah K. Rafferty
Rise Above Plastics Coordinate, Kona Surfrider Chapter
Sales &Public Relations, Big Island Divers
o ceanfriendlyrestaurantshawaii.org
1) Petition, Change.org: https://www.change.org/p/william-kenoi-hawaii-county-department-
of-environmental-management-hawaii-county-council-ban-single-use-eps-styrofoam-
containers-in-hawaii-county
2) M. Barnes, C. Chan-Halbrendt, Q. Zhang and N. Abejon, "Consumer Preference and
Willingness to Pay for Non-Plastic Food Containers in Honolulu, USA,"Journal of
Environmental Protection, Vol. 2 No. 9, 2011,pp. 1264-1273. doi:
10.423 6/j ep.2011.29146.
3) Styrene Products, Inc. "Expanded Polystyrene Material Safety Data Sheet (EPS MSDS),"
http://www.styreneproducts.com/media/files/SPI%20EPS%20MSDS(1).pdf