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Hawaii County Council delays plastics ban amid business, infrastructure concerns
Summary
After hours of testimony from business groups, environmental advocates and residents, the Hawaii County Council moved Bill 83 (draft 2), a measure to curb disposable plastic and polystyrene foodware, from first reading but postponed further action to Nov. 19 to allow more consultation on implementation, enforcement and small‑business concerns.
The Hawaii County Council advanced Bill 83, a measure aimed at reducing disposable plastic and polystyrene foodware, but postponed further action to Nov. 19 after extended public testimony and internal debate.
Supporters including Tanya Yamanaka Anasazi of the Chamber of Sustainable Commerce and Sierra Club Hawaii Island Group urged the council to pass the measure, saying it would curb toxic pollution and spur local innovation. "Plastic is a byproduct of fossil fuels. It's toxic," Anasazi told the council during the public comment period. Sarah Ward, director of operations for a local supplier of compostable packaging, said broader policy support is needed to create a market for commercial composting and to make compostables economically viable for island businesses.
Opponents, including restaurant industry representatives and suppliers, urged caution. Steve Ueda, president and CEO of Suisun Company Limited, told the council that "Hawaii Island has no composting facility. Even if every restaurant switched to compostable containers, the containers would still go into the landfill and not break down properly." Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's Restaurants, testified that compostable packaging can create methane in landfill conditions and cited performance and cost concerns for hot and oily foods.
Council discussion focused on how to avoid contaminating the organics stream, small‑business cost impacts, and the island's processing capacity. Councilmember Eustace proposed an amendment to exempt food providers with 10 or fewer employees from the requirement for five years; that amendment failed on a roll call vote (2 aye, 5 no). Councilmembers cited both the county's long‑standing zero‑waste policy goals and the practical need to coordinate with the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) on enforcement and implementation. Councilmember Villegas, one of the bill's introducers, said the ordinance aligns with the county's zero‑waste plan and state Aloha+ Challenge goals and stressed the role of distributed composting options while DEM's capacity is addressed.
Rather than vote the measure up or down, the council voted to postpone Bill 83 to its Nov. 19 meeting to allow additional input from DEM, more detailed education/outreach planning with the county's Office of Strategic Actions and Resilience (OSCAR), and further work with local businesses and stakeholders. The postponement passed with a majority of members present. No final policy change was made at the Nov. 5 session.
What happened next: The postponement gives staff and councilmembers time to refine enforcement language, clarify exemptions and explore a phased timeline tied to demonstrated composting capacity or pilot in‑vessel facilities.
Votes and formal actions on Bill 83 are recorded in the council minutes; the amendment vote and the postponement are listed in the official action record.
