HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-02-16 EMC agenda item 6a - HB2399_cohdem_support_CPC v2
County of Hawai‘i
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
345 Kekūanāoʻa Street, Suite 41 · Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 · cohdem@hawaiicounty.gov
Ph: (808) 961-8083 · Fax: (808) 961-8086
Hawai‘i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
Ramzi I. Mansour
Director
Brenda Iokepa-Moses
Deputy Director
Mitchell D. Roth
Mayor
Lee Lord
Managing Director
February 14, 2022
Rep. Aaron Ling Johanson, Chair, and
Members of the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce
Dear Chair Johanson,
The County of Hawai‘i Department of Environmental Management supports HB 2399 to
implement an EPR program to address packaging waste through the counties. Each county is
best suited to address its own solid waste issues. Creating a mechanism where producers work
directly with each county can address longstanding issues due to population density and shipping
logistics on all islands.
Hawai‘i’s market share is small, but its low resident population, remote location bounded by the
Pacific Ocean, global image as a pristine environment, and steady influx of visitors makes it the
perfect proving grounds for innovative reuse strategies.
The corporations that produce the greatest volume of consumer goods have the resources needed
to address the environmental crises caused by excess packaging waste. Among these
corporations, 16 of the top 20 are signatories to the Global Commitment for a New Plastics
Economy. This means they have already pledged to reduce packaging waste and ensure that
whatever remains is either reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
Further, and perhaps most important, our national collective failure to reduce waste stems from
an overemphasis on recycling. The 2021 Global Commitment Report highlights that, although its
signatories have made measurable progress on reducing their combined total of packaging waste,
no progress has been made on their reuse goals. This legislation compels the top producers to
take the lead on developing reuse strategies by effectively partnering them with the County of
Hawai‘i and its community-driven zero waste movement.
We support Department of Health’s request for more staff to administer the EPR program, as
well as their request to move the implementation date to a time that best suits them.
Sincerely
Ramzi Mansour, Director