10-year-old’s testimony helps push plastic straw ban forward

Overwhelming support at an initial hearing for a ban on plastic straws led to tentative approval last week from state lawmakers who were urged to act in a plea from 10-year-old Rylee Brooke Kamahele of Kipapa Elementary School.

Kamahele, who was accompanied by her mom Wednesday at a hearing at the state Capitol, brought with her a written speech and a bucket of plastic scraps she had collected on Oahu beaches. She told lawmakers she started her own beach cleanup effort called The Plastics Project and urged them to support the bill.

“We need to take care of our ocean; our lives depend on it. We can’t do it on our own. Our state needs to start taking responsibility to help us. We need to stop placing importance on convenience and start looking at the bigger picture,” she said.

Kamahele said she started participating in beach cleanups with the organization 808 Cleanups two years ago, and directed her own beach cleanup last November with 10 children. They collected 771 pounds of plastic in four hours, she said.

Other supporters of Senate Bill 2285 included the Hawaii Association for Behavior Analysis, Surfrider Foundation, Sierra Club of Hawaii and Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii.

Rafael Bergstrom, coordinator of the Oahu Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, said the effects of plastic on the coral reef are “terrifying and detrimental.”

However, Victor Lim, Hawaii Restaurant Association legislative chairman, opposed a ban and advocated instead for public awareness on proper disposal of plastic straws. “This bill is very, very vague,” he said. “It criminalizes the use of straws.”

Lim said HRA helped launch the Malama 808 initiative with Jason Higa, president and chief executive officer of Zippy’s Restaurants, to educate the public and restaurant employees on the right ways to dispose of trash.

Other opponents of the bill included the Hawaii Food Industry Association and the American Chemistry Council.

The Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to SB 2285, which would take effect Jan. 1, 2019, to give restaurant owners time to adjust. The bill still needs the approval of the Senate Judiciary and Ways and Means committees before it can be considered by the House.

Lawmakers from the Agriculture and Environment Committee on Thursday also approved Senate Bill 2498, which would impose a statewide ban on the sale and use of polystyrene foam containers. That bill still needs the approval of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health before it can pass to the House.