Hawaii has realized that the time has come to take the issue of plastic pollution seriously. This substance has become an integral part of our lives but must be gradually eased out for the wellbeing of the Environment. Hence, the state has decided to set an example. It wants to be the first state in the US to ban plastics at restaurants. This will be as a part of legislation to cut down on plastic waste that pollutes the ocean and endangers marine lives.
Daily Mail UK reports many cities in the US have already introduced bans on plastic foam containers in isolation.
However, in the case of Hawaii, it will be across the state. Hawaii has always assigned priority to the environment and has taken a number of measures to safeguard it. Promoting Renewable Energy is an example. Hawaii believes that safety of the environment is the key to prosperity, hence the issue must get the necessary priority.
Hawaii could become first state in the U.S. to ban most plastics at restaurants in effort to help preserve oceans and cut down on harmful wastehttps://t.co/k8AaXgQl8G
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) March 19, 2019
Good initiative to protect the environment
State Sen. Mike Gabbard says people discard most of the plastic packaging after a single use and in the US, millions of plastic straws fall in this category.
The practice today is for fast-food and full-service restaurants to distribute a whole range of single-use plastic products along with the edibles. This practice must stop in order to arrest pollution. Mike Gabbard is the father of Democratic Presidential Candidate and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
In the US, 500 million plastic straws are used and thrown out every day, as per estimates #plasticpollution #plastic #plasticfree https://t.co/ukBsNxbeac
— Financial Express (@FinancialXpress) March 19, 2019
While people admit that discarded plastic is littering the beaches, owners of many restaurants fear a consequential rise in prices of the food if plastic is banned.
This is because of the high cost of alternative material that will be passed onto the customer. Mike Gabbard assures that the proposal was in the initial stages and lawmakers will have enough time to address all such concerns. Daily Mail UK adds that California was the first state to ban full-service restaurants from giving out plastic straws, and cities like Seattle and San Francisco have banned some single-use plastics.
In contrast, the efforts that Hawaii proposes to introduce would be stricter.
Hawaii wants to take the lead
According to the Indian Express, Hawaii wants to pioneer the plastic ban revolution and there are critics who feel switching over to alternate material will add to the cost of the final product. The Hawaii Restaurant Association represents 3,500 restaurants and Chris Yankowski, an official, said lawmakers are trying to do “too much too fast.” He says suitable alternatives to plastic products are not yet available. Maui has already adopted plastic foam bans effective December 31and Hawaii plans to do so on July 1.