Committee advances Bill 83 to curb single-use foodware; adds compostable and reusable standards

A Hawaii County committee on Wednesday advanced Bill 83, a proposed ordinance to limit single‑use plastic and polystyrene foodware, adopting several amendments that added definitions, set certification standards for compostable products and detailed a reusable‑foodware definition.

The bill — introduced by Councilmember Michelle Galimba and Committee Chair Rebecca Villegas and discussed at the committee’s Oct. 8 meeting in Hilo — was amended and its revised draft will be forwarded to the Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Management Commission for review before the committee takes further action. The committee also postponed final action on Bill 83 to its Oct. 21 meeting.

Why it matters: Bill 83 is intended to advance the county’s zero‑waste goals and align local rules with state targets such as the Aloha+ Challenge. The committee’s amendments aim to close loopholes identified in earlier island ordinances, require industry certification for compostable products and expressly allow vetted reusable systems, a step proponents say could reduce landfill inputs and support circular‑economy approaches.

What the committee did

- The committee adopted a series of amendments (communications 482.1, 482.3, 482.5, 482.6, 482.7, 482.8 and 482.9) that, among other changes, clarified that commercial activities at county facilities are covered, required coordination between the Department of Environmental Management and the county Sustainability Administrator, and refined the bill’s definitions for prepackaged food, prepared food, and reusable foodware.

- The committee voted to forward the next draft (Draft 2) of Bill 83 to the director of the Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Management Commission for review. Under county procedure, those bodies have 45 days to act on a transmitted draft.

- The committee postponed formal passage and first reading to the Oct. 21 committee meeting to allow time for the EMC/DEM review and any…