Despite support, foam container ban bill fails to pass

Despite overwhelming support from environmental groups and eco-friendly businesses, lawmakers have tabled bills that would have banned foam containers and plastic straws statewide, citing concerns about hurting the local manufacturing industry.

Senate Bill 2498 proposed banning the sale and use of polystyrene foam containers. The bill advanced through the state Senate but stalled after crossing over to the House. The House Finance Committee chose not to hear the bill.

Rafael Bergstrom, Oahu chapter coordinator of the Surfrider Foundation, has been outspoken about his support for the foam ban. He called the bill’s failure a frustrating end to the session, considering it was one of the most publicly supported bills.

“In the Finance Committee, Chair (Sylvia) Luke didn’t even hear the bill, so it just died. It died without a hearing, without any public input, without reason from any legislator as to why they’re stopping it,” Bergstrom said in an interview. “I was (copied) on 150 emails to Chair Luke and Vice Chair (Ty) Cullen in the two to three weeks the bill was up for a hearing in their committee. And it was from students, teachers, restaurant owners, people in the tourism industry, just general citizens … and none of them got a response. Not even a ‘We’re not going to hear this because of this’ — just radio silence.”

Bergstrom called the actions of Luke and Cullen, chairwoman and vice chairman, respectively, of the House Finance Committee, “unacceptable.”

“That’s completely ignoring the job you’re supposed to be doing, which is to represent the people,” he said.

Luke told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that local foam container manufacturers would have been negatively affected by the bill, which she believes would have triggered layoffs.

Foam ban supporters testified that Kalihi-based packaging producer and distributor KYD Inc. is the only company producing foam products in Hawaii. The company — which employs 90 workers along with its sister company Hawaii’s Finest Products LLC — opposed the bill earlier in the session, calling a ban “discriminatory” and questioning the environmental benefits.

“We need to take a step back and figure out what is the impact and how does the Legislature justify putting a lot of people out of jobs without taking a look at what other alternatives, what is going to be the cost to businesses,” Luke said. “And when you talk about Styrofoam, it is people’s individual responsibility to take care of trash. Does that outweigh the Legislature’s move to put a bunch of residents out of work?”

Luke said when more people realized the economic impact of the ban, the ban became “more shocking and devastating.”

Bergstrom said the threat of layoffs by local manufacturers was “pretty much a lie” because the companies produce more than just foam containers.

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 2285, which proposed a ban on plastic straws, stalled before the Senate Judiciary and Ways and Means committees.

University of Hawaii-Manoa student Jun Shin, an at-large board member for Young Progressives Demanding Action — Hawaii, said he was disappointed the ban failed.

“I really hope the Legislature brings it back next year and they’re able to get the momentum on it,” the 18-year-old said. “It’d be awesome if we could get more people interested and understand the stakes involved.”