STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2053

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 647
                                        S.D. 1
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor and Environment, to which was
referred S.B. No. 647 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PLASTIC,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to place an advance disposal
fee on plastics to reduce litter and increase recycling.

     Testimony in favor of the measure was received from the
Environmental Center, Save Our Bays and Beaches, Aloha Plastic
Recycling, Inc., Surfrider Foundation, and three individuals.
Testimony in opposition to the measure was received from the
Department of Public Works and Waste Management of the County of
Maui, Anheuser Busch Companies, Life of the Land, and the Hawaii
Food Industry Association.  The Ala Wai Watershed Association and
the Tax Foundation submitted comments on the measure.

     In 1999, "Get the Drift and Bag It" volunteers collected
217,000 pieces of debris, 55 percent of which were plastic.  Your
Committee is in agreement that plastic litter can be reduced by
establishing an effective recycling program.  The advance deposit
fee on plastics is a tiny cost to each individual when weighed
against the cost-savings to government and volunteers who clean
plastic litter each year.


 
a                                                     SB647 SD1
 
 
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2053
                                   Page 2


     Your Committee made technical, nonsubstantive amendments to
correct the dates in the bill and to address other technical
problems.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Labor and Environment that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 647, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 647,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Labor and
                                   Environment,



                                   ______________________________
                                   BOB NAKATA, Chair

 
a                                                     SB647 SD1