STAND. COM. REP. NO. 425

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1067

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1067 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEPOSIT BEVERAGE CONTAINER RECYCLING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Repeal certain exemptions for beverage dealers from the requirement to operate redemption centers and amend the types of containers they must accept for redemption;

(2) Allow the establishment of regional centers for the redemption of refillable beverage containers but not as substitutes for dealers' means to receive deposit beverage containers; and

(3) Require the Department of Health to establish a Reverse Vending Machine Pilot Program to use the Deposit Beverage Container Deposit Special Fund to provide grants to deploy reverse vending machines.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Food Industry Association and Down to Earth Organic and Natural.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committees find that beverage containers, especially single-use containers, significantly contribute to landfill waste. Your Committees further find that the State will benefit from reduced waste production by expanding alternative strategies like reuse, refill, composting, and recycling. This measure encourages consumers in the State to redeem their deposit beverage containers by improving accessibility to redemption centers.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language to establish eligibility standards to receive grants from the Department of Health for deployment of reverse vending machines in the State;

(2) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1067, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1067, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair