State lawmakers consider ban on plastic straws

Lawmakers will consider a proposal to ban disposable plastic drinking straws at a public hearing Wednesday.

Senate Bill 2285 would make selling and distributing plastic straws illegal, and violators could be punished by fines and required to perform community serv­ice.

State Sen. Karl Rhoads (D, Downtown-Nuuanu-­Liliha) said he introduced the measure at the request of a constituent. According to the bill, Americans now use 500 million disposable drinking straws daily, but businesses and individuals can use alternatives such as reusable and paper straws.

“These straws are made of plastic, intended for one-time use, rarely recycled, and are seemingly everywhere,” the bill states. “Often the plastic straws end up as marine trash, clogging up oceans and entangling or being consumed by sea life.”

Under the proposed ban, the fine for violators would be between $100 and $500 for each offense, and the measure also would require violators to pick up litter or do community service for four hours. Any additional offenses would be punishable by eight hours of community service for each offense.

“We put that in so that people who might violate the new law can get a firsthand look at the damage straws do,” Rhoads said. “I’ve participated in enough neighborhood cleanups to vouch for the hot and unpleasant work this can be.”

The ban on plastic straws would take effect upon approval by lawmakers.

Gregg Fraser, executive director of the Hawaii Restaurant Association, said the ban will not help solve the litter problem in Hawaii’s beaches and parks.

“If it’s not gonna solve anything. Why would we put an additional cost on the restaurant owners?” Fraser said. “It’s not fair to the restaurant industry.”

He added that “replacing one product with another will not solve the litter problem,” Fraser said. “We need to be working on the root of the problem: trash receptacles.”

Better trash receptacles would help beaches and parks reduce animals in the trash and create more space for rubbish in the trash cans. Better receptacles also would prevent “recycling enthusiasts” from going through trash and dropping debris on the ground, Fraser said.

The city of Seattle already has approved a ban on plastic straws known as “Strawless in Seattle” that will take effect in July, and County Councils in Hawaii have shown a willingness to ban other plastic products to protect the environment.

Hawaii was the first state to officially ban plastic bags in grocery stores. The Big Island banned plastic bags in 2013, followed by Kauai and Maui counties, and then Oahu in 2015.

A ban on polystyrene foam food containers will take effect on Maui in December and on the Big Island in July 2019.

SB 2285, which bans plastic straws, will have a public hearing Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. in Room 224 at the state Capitol.