New Hawaii bill would require customers to ask for plastic straws

Want to sip your soda or cocktail through a straw? You may have to ask for one.

A bill making its way through the state Legislature would require restaurants in Hawaii to provide customers with straws only if they ask for them, or face a fine of $25 a day.

State Rep. Roy Takumi (D, Pearl City-Waipio) said he introduced House Bill 762 to reduce plastic waste and was inspired by a growing movement to reduce plastic across the nation. A similar bill became law in California last year.

“Usually, it’s the small steps that add up to the big steps,” said Takumi. “It’s not earth-shattering. It’s not an end-all, be-all situation, but an attempt to address a small part of the waste stream problem.”

The bill, which requires that restaurants not automatically serve plastic straws with drinks, takes a more modest approach than another bill — Senate Bill 522 — that originally sought a comprehensive ban on single-use plastic food-ware, including bottles, stirring sticks, utensils and polystyrene foam containers.

That bill has since been amended to establish a working group to discuss plastic waste reduction strategies.

While cities like San Francisco and Seattle have gone as far as to ban single-use plastic straws, Takumi said such bans make it difficult for those who have disabilities or difficulty swallowing and rely on straws.

“When you make it upon request, I’m pretty confident it will reduce the number of straws being used,” he said.

Takumi also noted that corporations like Starbucks and Marriott are taking initiatives on their own.

Starbucks announced last year it would replace plastic straws with a new, recyclable and strawless lid or offer alternatives. Marriott International, which runs the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, also did away with plastic straws last year. Upon request, mai tais, blended tropical drinks and keiki beverages are served with paper straws.

The bill, so far, has the support of industry groups, including the Retail Merchants of Hawaii, the Hawaii Restaurant Association and KYD Inc., a Honolulu- based manufacturer and distributor of packaging products.

These groups all opposed an outright ban on plastic food packaging but were amenable to a compromise that gives restaurateurs options.

“I don’t see why we couldn’t support something like that,” said Victor Lim, legislative lead for the Hawaii Restaurant Association. “SB 522, they just wanted to ban everything, but this particular bill basically is a common-sense position.”

The reduction could potentially result in cost savings for restaurants down the line, he said. Meanwhile most restaurateurs are searching for more sustainable food packaging, he said.

Michael Miller, director of operations for Tiki’s Bar & Grill in Waikiki, also supports the bill.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Miller. “We don’t need to ban everything, but there are steps we can take to reduce things.”

He said some of Tiki’s customers, who are from other countries, might not understand a ban on straws, so he appreciates still having the option of offering them. Tiki’s tried several different paper straws, but some collapsed in the pina coladas, and the quality ones cost significantly more.

Tiki’s is testing a pilot, reusable bamboo straw program and seeing whether customers would be willing to pay more for one that they could take home after enjoying a cocktail.

The state Health Department, which would enforce the new rule, suggested in testimony that the penalties be imposed administratively rather than through a court process. Also, it noted that the proposed law might not be actively enforced, just as litter laws are not enforced, without additional funding and resources.

Environmental groups such as the Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club of Hawaii support the bill.

“I prefer an outright ban, but a lot of this is education,” said Stuart Coleman of the Surfrider Foundation. “This is a very practical, efficient way to decrease the amount of straws out there. It’s a way of voluntarily decreasing the amount of plastic pollution on our beaches, coastlines and in the ocean.”

Plastic straws are consistently among the top 10 items picked up at beach cleanups, he said.

The foundation has an “Ocean Friendly Restaurants” program for eateries that voluntarily agree to reduce plastic waste for the designation. More than 200 restaurants in Hawaii have already agreed not to use polystyrene foam and to offer straws only upon request, he said.

One of them is Ai Love Nalo, a vegan cafe in Wai­ma­nalo which does not offer customers straws.

Owner Malia Smith said the restaurant’s mission is all about sustainability. It offers biodegradable takeout containers, composts food scraps and has a sign on the wall explaining why straws are only upon request. Its employees also take time out to explain, and customers have generally been receptive to it, she said.

“It does cost a little more to have the paper straws,” she said, “but to us it’s our commitment to the future generations.”

Another business, Local Boys Shave Ice, serves customers shave ice with a wooden spoon, but no straws, at two locations on Maui. Paper straws are provided upon request.

A full-service restaurant is defined in the bill as one that serves primarily food, along with beverages, to customers in assigned seating, followed by a check. While the bill requires restaurants to offer plastic straws only upon request, restaurants may freely offer straws made of nonplastic materials, including paper, pasta, wood or bamboo.

PROPOSED BILL AT A GLANCE

>> Restaurants prohibited from providing a plastic straw to a consumer unless requested.

>> Fines would be $25 a day, up to $300 per year.

>> Bill applies to full-service restaurants, where consumers sit down, place orders and are served, not fast food chains or beverage retailers.