Committee advances vending-machine ban on single-use plastic bottles after heated debate; 3-2

The Honolulu City Council committee on March 4 voted 3-2 to report Bill 18 out for passage on second reading and to schedule a public hearing. The ordinance would add a new article to Chapter 34 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu banning single-use plastic beverage bottles from city vending machines effective Dec. 31, 2025.

Deputy Director Kealoha Fox of the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency (CCSR) told the committee the office supports the bill and cited local planning documents and emerging science linking microplastics and human health. "On average, what they found was that in a liter of bottled water, 240,000 tiny pieces of plastic are found," Fox said, citing a multi-year study and noting the city's climate action plan and integrated solid-waste management plan supportive of single-use reduction. CCSR told the committee it has already reduced agency purchases of single-use bottles.

David Thorpe, testifying for the American Beverage Association, urged caution, saying PET beverage containers are highly recyclable and that banning vending-machine sales would shift demand toward aluminum cans that are not locally produced and could raise costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Thorpe also questioned some high-profile microplastic study headlines and cited federal agencies'positions that have not found conclusive evidence of health harm from microplastics.

Council members debated the scope and equity of the proposal. Councilmember Santos Tam, a cosponsor of a broader prior measure, said this version is narrower and applies only to vending machines rather than concessions and sponsored events. "Given the conversations we've had with our youth and our community, this is an opportunity to lead by example," Santos Tam said. He also asked whether the restriction would affect enterprise services and concessions; the chair confirmed it would not apply to concessions such as golf-course vendors or Blaisdell concessions.

Councilmember Tupala said she opposed the ban and urged emphasis on behavioral change and recycling improvements to avoid adding costs for low-income residents who use city facilities. "I don't think a ban is what's going to change it," she said. Councilmember Toba also voted no. Vice Chair Cordero and Chair Weier voted aye.

The roll-call recommendation to report the bill out carried 3-2: Aye votes from Vice Chair Cordero, Councilmember Santos Tam and Chair Weier; No votes from Councilmembers Toba and Tupala.

Committee discussion included requests for administration follow-up on the number of vending machines affected, alternatives to PET (aluminum or resealable containers) and coordination with local recycling infrastructure. The committee was told a local PET processing facility is scheduled to open later this year, which proponents cited as a reason to accelerate single-use reductions.

The committee's action advances Bill 18 to the full council for further reading and a public hearing on the second-reading schedule. If adopted the vending-machine restriction would take effect Dec. 31, 2025, per the bill language.