STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2682

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2571

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2571, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD WASTE RECYCLING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to increase recycling of food waste.

     Specifically, this measure establishes a three-year food waste recycling pilot project in one or more public schools in the State as part of the State's integrated solid waste management plan.  The measure also appropriates moneys from the environmental management special fund to the Department of Education to conduct the pilot project.

     Comments on this measure were submitted by the Department of Education.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that state facilities and public schools are among the largest institutional generators of solid waste.  Recycling efforts help this problem, but still only reduce a fraction of the solid and liquid waste that is created.  Your Committee further finds that food waste recycling falls within the program elements of the State's integrated solid waste management plan.  Your Committee believes that a food waste recycling pilot project would promote the State's goals of increasing recycling and reducing the amount of waste entering the State's landfills.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2571, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair