STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2451

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2750

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2750 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BOTTLED WATER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the requirement that noncarbonated bottled water not be transported, stored, processed, or bottled in or through lines or equipment through which any food product other than water is passed.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Food Industry Association, Maui Brewing Co., Mananalu, Can Manufacturers Institute, Surfrider Foundation Oahu, Ball Corporation, and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that Americans send more than thirty-eight billion water bottles to landfills every year, while only thirty percent of water bottles are placed in a recycling bin. Aluminum cans, however, are recycled twice as often as plastic, glass, and cartons. Unlike single-use plastic bottles, one hundred percent of the aluminum can is recyclable, meaning the material from one aluminum can or bottle can be used to make another aluminum can without any new material. This closed loop cycle can take as little as sixty days.

Your Committee further finds that many carbonated soft drink companies on the mainland also produce canned noncarbonated water with the same equipment used to make their other products. However, existing state law expressly prohibits carbonated soft drink, juice, and beer operations from using the same equipment to can noncarbonated bottled water. This restriction unfairly and unnecessarily limits local beverage filling companies that manufacture other products from providing noncarbonated water in aluminum cans to consumers as an alternative to single-use plastic water bottles. Accordingly, this measure repeals the existing restriction.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2750 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair