As Honolulu lawmakers consider a ban on the sale of single-use plastic bottles at city-owned properties as a way to curb waste, Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration has expressed skepticism over desired restrictions it believes are largely unnecessary.
Bill 59, introduced in October by Council members
Matt Weyer and Tommy Waters, states that no single-use plastic bottles 1 liter in size or less may be “purchased, sold, or offered for sale for use at any city facility, city-authorized concession, city-sponsored or city-permitted event, or city program.”
“The Council, by resolution, may grant an exemption on an annual and renewable term of one year or less for specifically identified situations where the Council finds that there are no reasonable alternatives to the use of a single-use plastic bottle,” Bill 59 states.
In addition, the measure would allow the mayor to use single-use plastic bottles during an emergency or disaster “for the preservation of life, health, property, safety, or essential public
service.”
If approved, the ban would be phased in over a three-year period, with a few
exemptions.
Phased exemptions, according to the draft measure, would occur on or before Dec. 31, 2026, at any city facility, and after that, at any “city-authorized concession, city-sponsored event, city-permitted event, or
city program” on or before Dec. 31, 2027.
Licensed blind vendors of plastic bottles also would be exempted, the draft bill states.
Violators of this ban could face civil penalties of $100 to $1,000, the measure states.
The full Council is scheduled to review the measure for the second of three readings Wednesday.
But in a Nov. 20 mayor’s message to the Council, city Managing Director Michael Formby wrote that the administration has “reservations regarding Bill 59.”
“While we understand the intent of the bill, the current use of single-use plastic containers in the city is restricted principally for guests and distinguished visitors at meetings,” Formby wrote.
He added that the city does not “purchase single-use plastic containers for employees and, as a matter of practice, we do not distribute water in single-use plastic containers unless requested.”
“After consumption, the single-use plastic containers are placed in recycling bins in our offices, where they are taken to recycling centers. On an exception basis, single-use plastic containers are also used for emergencies, events and other forums in which water is not available to individuals,” Formby wrote.
“As a practical matter, coming out of COVID, there remains sensitivity to serving water to guests in non-single-use containers for health and sanitation reasons,” he wrote. “When and if non-plastic single-use water containers are available at commensurate prices, the administration will make the shift on or before
Dec. 31, 2026.”
Formby noted an “additional matter,” too.
“(The) administration does not believe it an appropriate use of the Council’s time to file resolutions for the use of single-use plastic containers on an as-needed basis,” he wrote. “We would hope the language, in whatever form the Council finds acceptable, would permit the administration to make these (decisions) on an as-needed basis following the policy outlined by Council.”
This week Weyer responded to the city’s criticism of Bill 59.
“We recognize the administration has expressed reservations about bottles they buy for guests, and we respect that,” he told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser via email. “We understand the mayor has not expressed opposition to Bill 59, and instead simply expressed reservations on that point. We’re open to positive dialogue with the administration.”
Weyer added, “We see the limited scope within Bill 59 as an opportunity for the city to lead by example, especially following concerns raised by our youth about the harm plastic waste can cause to our environment and health.”
“As we’re confronted with finding a new landfill location, it’s essential that we more efficiently and sustainably manage our waste,” he said. “We’re looking forward to seeing the lasting impacts Bill 59 can create.”
But others also oppose the measure.
As the Council reviewed Bill 59 in November, a national trade group representing the nonalcoholic beverage industry believed the measure, if enacted, would negatively affect local jobs.
“The beverage industry is an important part of
Hawaii’s economy — and one of the few remaining industries still manufacturing on the islands,” American Beverage Association Vice President of State Government Affairs West David Thorp told the Council in written testimony. “Unlike most consumer products, many of our beverages, aluminum cans and plastic bottles are manufactured and distributed in Hawaii by local workers.”
Nonalcoholic beverage companies in Hawaii provide 1,200 good-paying jobs across the state,
according to Thorp.
“The industry helps to support thousands more workers in businesses that rely in part on beverage sales for their livelihoods, such as grocery stores, restaurants and theaters,” he added.
He asserted that “Hawaii beverage companies are taking bold actions to reduce their use of new plastic and make sure their bottles do not end up in nature or wasted in
landfills.”
“We are carefully designing our bottles to be 100% recyclable, even the caps,” Thorp said.
The Council meets at 10 a.m. inside
the City Council chambers.
