Hilo Farmers Market

The paper or plastic question asked at Big Island checkout counters may soon be a thing of the past. On December 21, 2011 the Hawaii County Council approved Bill 17. If Mayor Billy Kenoi signs the legislation into law, it will be illegal for merchants to provide plastic checkout bags to their customers next year.

More and more counties and cities are proposing bills as awareness of environmental issues grow. Maui and Kauai have already passed similar measures banning the offering of plastic bags at the checkout. Paper bags are still available and customers can always bring reusable tote bags.  If the Big Island joins in, Honolulu will be the only county in Hawaii that allows the use of plastic bags.

Kapoho Tide Pools, Big Island

Over 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year and it can take up to 1000 years for one of these bags to partially break down. Once the bag does degrade it becomes a plastic dust that includes polychlorinated biphenyls, a bio-toxin. This dust can easily be ingested by fish which means the toxins will eventually move up the food chain to humans. On average, an American family takes home 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year adding up to approximately 100 billion single-use plastic bags used in the US per year. Less than 5% of these bags are recycled. The rest end up in landfills, water ways, and the ocean.

If you are a Hawaiian resident and have an opinion on Bill 17, you can contact Mayor Billy Kenoi and indicate your feelings about the plastic bag legislation.  The Mayor’s Office can be reached at (808) 961-8211.