HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	353
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the retail merchants of hawaii and hawaii food industry association to submit a report to the legislature on their public-education campaign about "reducing, reusing, and recycling" plastic bags.

     WHEREAS, non-biodegradable, plastic bags have significant adverse effects on the natural environment; and

     WHEREAS, in every stage, from production to disposal, non-biodegradable plastic bags create pollution and environmental hazards; and

     WHEREAS, non-biodegradable plastic bags require millions of barrels of crude oil, an increasingly scarce resource, to manufacture; contribute to unsightly litter; crowd landfills with non-biodegradable waste; and endanger marine animals; and

     WHEREAS, for every square mile of ocean, it is estimated that there are over 46,000 pieces of plastic, including plastic bags; and

     WHEREAS, over 100,000 marine animals die every year after becoming entangled with this plastic waste; and

     WHEREAS, numerous governments worldwide have placed fees or bans on plastic bags and have encouraged the use of alternatives, such as compostable plastic bags and reusable bags; and

     WHEREAS, compostable plastic bags are made of material that will decompose by natural processes in a safe and timely manner; and

     WHEREAS, reusable bags have handles, are made of cloth or other durable material, and have been specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuse; and

     WHEREAS, encouraging the use of these environmentally preferable alternatives to non-biodegradable plastic bags will help to protect the natural environment and decrease the amount of waste flowing into our landfills; and

     WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has a significant interest in protecting its natural environment by reducing the number of plastic bags imported into the islands, thereby reducing the number of plastic bags entering its landfills and diminishing the litter caused by these bags; and

     WHEREAS, the Retail Merchants of Hawaii (RMH) and Hawaii Food Industry Association (HFIA) have embraced the concept of "reduce, reuse, and recycle" and have embarked on a public-education campaign to encourage the use of reusable tote bags and in-store recycling of plastic bags to effect change in public behavior; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that RMH and HFIA are requested to submit to the Legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009, a report on the progress and effectiveness of their public-education campaign in:

(1)  Reducing the import of plastic bags into the state;

(2)  Promoting the use of reusable tote bags by consumers; and

(3)  Increasing the recycling of used plastic bags;

and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report shall also include information about the effectiveness of in-store recycling; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Department of Health, RHM, and HFIA.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title: 

Plastic bags; Public-education campaign