Legislative Committees Reject Plastics Ban Proposals

Hawaii would have been the first to impose the prohibitions at a statewide level.

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(AP) — Two Hawaii legislative committees have rejected proposals that would have banned a variety of plastics used by the food service industry.

The committees on Wednesday amended an anti-plastics bill to delete a section that would have prohibited the sale and use of plastic drink bottles, utensils, stirring sticks, bags and straws.

But the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee both voted to keep a section of the bill establishing a working group to develop a plan to eliminate single-use plastic packaging.

In this Thursday, March 14, 2019 photo, Belinda Lau, manager of the Wiki Wiki Drive Inn takeout restaurant in Honolulu, sprinkles cheese on an order of spaghetti in a styrofoam container. Hawaii would be the first state in the U.S. to ban most plastics used at restaurants under legislation that aims to cut down on waste that pollutes the ocean. Dozens of cities across the country have banned plastic foam containers, but Hawaii would be the first to bar them statewide. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)
Belinda Lau, manager of the Wiki Wiki Drive Inn takeout restaurant in Honolulu, sprinkles cheese on an order of spaghetti in a styrofoam container. AP

They are sending the amended bill to the House Finance Committee for further consideration.

The committees deferred another bill that would have banned polystyrene foam containers at restaurants and other businesses.

The proposed plastic bans aimed to reduce ocean pollution and climate change.

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