| Mahalo to Everyone who Submitted Testimony! After a 4 hour hearing on Thursday October 24, Bill 40 PASSED through the Public Safety & Welfare Committee. Mahalo to Councilmembers Tommy Waters, Joey Manahan, and Ron Menor for your yes votes. There were nearly 900 pages of testimony, 97% of which was in support of Bill 40. Only one individual submitted testimony in opposition to the Bill. Mahalo to the advocates, youth, and businesses who came out for the hearing to share their inspiring testimonies. Bill 40 aims to phaseout unnecessary single-use petroleum-based plastic like foam, cups, lids, straws, utensils, and takeout containers. It is time to take action to solve the plastic pollution problem! As of now, the bill is being updated to ensure the language is as clear as possible. Please stay tuned for updates! This will be a historic moment as it will make us one of the first cities in the country to pass a comprehensive phaseout of single-use plastics! For more information on the process Bill 40 needs to go through, please check out this page from our friends at Zero Waste Oahu. Zero Waste Oahu is a coalition of environmental organizations, including Surfrider Oahu, that are creating solutions that reduce waste and get us to a circular economy. |