Bill Text: HI HCR52 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii House Concurrent Resolution 52 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Requesting The Governor To Endorse The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment And The Office Of Planning And Sustainable Development To Set Targets To Fulfill The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-31 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Eli, Hashem, D. Kobayashi, Ohno excused (4). [HCR52 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-HCR52-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	52
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the governor to endorse the new plastics economy global commitment and the office of planning and sustainable development to set targets to fulfill the new plastics economy global commitment.

WHEREAS, the wasteful use of plastics continues to threaten the State's health and environment; and

WHEREAS, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute and over five trillion plastic bags are used annually; and

WHEREAS, many plastic products are designed for single-use and sixty percent of all plastic products produced since 1950 have eventually ended up in landfills or natural environments; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii is particularly vulnerable to the effects of plastic pollution, which pose a threat to the State's unique natural environments and vital tourism sector; and

WHEREAS, in January 2020, the Guardian named Kamilo Beach on Hawaii island as one of the most plastic-polluted places on the globe and, in July of the same year, the Environmental Protection Agency deemed the beach to be contaminated by the high volumes of plastic waste; and

WHEREAS, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the United Nations Environment Programme have created a New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to set goals and standards for the use of plastic products; and

WHEREAS, the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment aims to reduce reliance on single-use plastic products and limit the production of plastic waste by:

(1) Eliminating unnecessary plastic packaging and products;

(2) Encouraging reuse;

(3) Incentivizing reusable, recyclable, and compostable packaging;

(4) Increasing collection and sorting of waste;

(5) Stimulating demand for recycled plastics; and

(6) supporting social and behavioral change; and

WHEREAS, the State is already a signatory of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; and

WHEREAS, the next step toward greater sustainability includes endorsement of the Global Commitment for a New Plastics Economy; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the Senate concurring, that the Governor is requested to endorse the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and United Nations Environment Programme's New Plastics Economy Global Commitment; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development is requested to develop and publish meaningful targets to achieve the goals of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and to implement policies in pursuit of those targets; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.