STAND. COM. REP. 2564

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2417

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2417, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOLID WASTE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require large retailers and wholesalers that import goods for commercial sale to backhaul packaging, crating, insulation, pallets, and all other accommodating materials used for shipping to minimize the amounts of landfill.

Testimony in support of the general concept of this measure was received from Department of Health, the Mayor of Hawaii County, Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter, and Hawaii Food Industry Association.

Your Committee finds that this measure requires recycling of materials that would otherwise be dumped into landfills. Specifically, this measure covers typical recyclable materials such as packaging and shipping materials. These are very common in landfills and yet are easy to recycle. This measure is an effort to save our landfills from being filled with more trash that can be easily avoided.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2030 to continue the discussion on this important matter, and by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments. Your Committee heard testimony that the language of the measure should be further clarified, and acknowledges that this bill is a work in progress. Your Committee urges the testifiers to continue to work on language to amend this measure as it makes its way through the legislative process.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2417, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2417, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing,

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair