STAND. COM. REP. NO. 250

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1326

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1326 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Hawaii Zero Waste Initiative Program to, among other things, manage the State's transition to reduce and reuse solid waste;

(2) Establish and appropriate funds for the Packaging Waste Advisory Council;

(3) Require the Department of Health to develop an assessment of statewide needs to determine the resources required to reduce packaging waste by seventy percent from the baseline amount by 2030;

(4) Establish a Packaging Waste Reduction and Reuse Program; and

(5) Appropriate funds for the Department of Health to fund contractors or packing reduction coordinator positions for the Packaging Waste Reduction and Reuse Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; Fair Wind Big Island Ocean Guides; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Kauai Women's Caucus; 350Hawaii.org; Adaptations Inc.; Big Island Coffee Roasters; Coconut Trader LLC; NO POHŌ; DeliverZero, Inc.; EarthEx, LLC; Foodware; Kale‘a Farms; Koko Kai Foods LLC; Pop Culture Artisan Pops; Protea Zero Waste Store; SKY Kombucha; SUPERFUN Studio; Village Seeds Design LLC; Volcano Precious Plastic, LLC; Zero Waste Hale; Aranya Solutions; Blue Ocean Warriors; Christienne de Tournay Zero Waste Consultancy; Don't Waste Durham; Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions; Going Home Hawaii; Hanai Kaiaulu; Hawaii Wildlife Fund; Ho‘omalu Ke Kai; Kingdom Pathways; Plastic Pollution Coalition; Surfrider Foundation, Hawai‘i Region; Zero Waste Hawai‘i Island; Hawai‘i Reef and Ocean Coalition; Big Island Reef Keepers Hui; Just Zero; Surfrider Foundation, Maui Chapter; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Island Plastic Bags, Inc.; Flexible Packaging Association; Hawaii Food Manufacturers Association; and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Household & Commercial Products Association; Waiākea Bottling Inc.; Mālama One Recycling, LLC; American Chemistry Council; American Cleaning Institute; American Institute for Packaging and the Environment; Consumer Technology Association; Foodservice Packaging Institute; National Confectioners Association; Pet Food Institute; Plastics Industry Association; The Toy Association; The Wine Institute; American Beverage Association; American Forest & Paper Association; Consumer Brands Association; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that as the State strives to fulfill its commitments to reduce waste and effectively mitigate the impacts of climate change, it is essential to assess the current state of packaging waste in the State. This measure initiates the development of a plan to determine the resources necessary to prioritize waste prevention through eliminating unnecessary packaging and switching to reusable packaging systems.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting findings related to Hawaii's waste management situation and the need to transition to a circular economy through a zero waste initiative;

(2) Specifying that the goal of the Hawaii Zero Waste Initiative is to send zero waste to the landfill or to incineration;

(3) Requiring the Department of Health to establish dates and interim goals by which the State shall achieve certain benchmarks in reduction of the amount of waste going to the landfill or to incineration under the Hawaii Zero Waste Initiative;

(4) Specifying the responsibilities of the Department of Health under the Hawaii Zero Waste Initiative, including, among other things, facilitating a transition from a linear economy to a circular economy and reporting requirements;

(5) Extending by one year the deadline by which the Department of Health is required to establish the Packaging Waste Advisory Council to January 1, 2025;

(6) Extending by one year the deadline by which the Department of Health is required to issue a draft implementation plan, publish a final draft implementation plan, and publish a final packaging waste reduction and reuse implementation plan to July 1, 2026; December 31, 2026; and July 1, 2027, respectively;

(7) Specifying that the Department of Health and the counties prepare to implement the Packaging Waste Reduction and Reuse Program beginning July 1, 2027, rather than specifically hire contractors or employees in order to be ready to implement the program;

(8) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1326, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1326, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair