Whatʻs happening with Honoluluʻs ban on plastic bags, disposable food ware

Henry Gabriel, Honolulu’s Recycling Program Branch Chief, joins producer/host Coralie Chun Matayoshi to discuss the evolution of and compliance with the City’s nearly decade old “plastic bag ban,” Disposable Food Ware Ordinance, and future regulations and initiatives planned to further reduce plastic waste.

Q. Oahu’s plastic bag ban has been around for almost 10 years and has evolved from a complete ban in 2015, to requiring businesses to charge a minimum amount for bags, ban on compostable bags, and now the Disposable Food Ware Ordinance. Henry, you were involved with the Disposable Food Ware Ordinance from the beginning. When did it take effect and what does it cover?

The Disposable Food Ware Ordinance was supposed to go into effect on January 1, 2021 but was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DFWO went into full effect on September 6, 2022.

First part: the first part involved a ban on plastic bags and disposable plastic service ware like forks, knives, spoons and straws. The DFWO modified the City’s plastic bag ban by redefining “plastic checkout bag” and “plastic film” bag, and this modification changed what types of plastic bags are exempt from the ban so only “handle-less” plastic bags are eligible for exemption under the ban. Handle-less bags can be regular plastic bags where the “handles” are cut off and where the bag is used to contain moisture from a food product or for loose items, for example. As a reminder, plastic film bags and compostable plastic bags, unless they are for uses that are exempt, are not allowed under the plastic bag ban. Reusable Plastic bags greater than 10 mils in thickness is allowable with a minimum 15 cent charge.

Second part: the second part of the Disposable Food Ware Ordinance involved a ban on both disposable plastic and polystyrene food ware and applies to all businesses, not only food vendors. There are some exemptions (e.g. packaging for raw meat or prepackaged food). Businesses cannot sell polystyrene food ware, disposable plastic food ware or service ware either. Right now, there’s a lot of plastic polypropylene containers being provided that are just not regulated at the moment. The City is working to address the issue.

Q. How has the Plastic Bag Ban impacted the overall volume of plastic waste in Honolulu since its implementation in 2015?

Plastics is roughly 10% of our waste stream and .1% of that 10% is plastic bags which equates to 838 tons. The City plans to do another waste audit in Calendar Year 2026. We hope to see a decrease in volume and weight for plastic bags. The plastic bag ban focused on single use plastic bags provided at grocery stores. There still will be plastic bags in the waste stream due to the exemptions in the law (e.g. newspaper bags), hopefully the tonnage will be less. It’s great to see consumers bring their own reusable bags and for those that forget, the brown paper bag is recyclable.

• What specific environmental benefits have been observed as a result of the bag ban?

Visually, there are fewer plastic bags along the fence lines, the side of the road, collecting in our harbors, waterways and beaches. Littering is easily avoidable and it really falls on all of us to protect our environment. Restrictions and bans are good but it really boils down to people’s habits.

• Is there data on how the ban has affected pollution around Oahu?

There might be data but I’m not aware of it. Just visually, we hardly see less plastics in the environment.

Q. Have there been any challenges or obstacles in enforcing the plastic bag ban, and how has the Department of Environmental Services addressed them?

The plastic bag ban is pretty straight forward. The ban restricts the use of plastic bags with handles at the point of sale. There are questions regarding the handle-less plastic bags being provided at restaurants but those types of bags are exempt. The focus of an inspection would entail observing the type of bag being provided and the fee for that type of bag.

• How have businesses in Honolulu adapted to the changes brought by the various ordinances amending the original plastic bag ban?

Overall businesses have adapted well to the Plastic Bag Ban and the Disposable Food Ware Ordinance. Distributers are informed on the types of bags and food ware to sell to their clients which helps tremendously. There is definitely a cost difference. The City will continue to work with manufacturers, distributors and their clients to help with compliance with these laws.

Q. What feedback have you received from consumers regarding the shift to reusable, compostable, or recyclable paper bags?

The feedback has been positive, especially for reusable bags. We should always promote source reduction and bringing your own bag saves you 15 cents and less plastic waste in our waste stream. Regardless, the brown paper bag is recyclable as well. Paper bags can be composted as well but the preference would be towards recycling.

• Since the introduction of the 15-cent charge for reusable, compostable, or recyclable paper bags in 2018, how has consumer behavior changed?

Compostable plastic bags were banned at the point of sale in 2020. Since the introduction, there has been this great transition to BYOB, Bring Your Own Bag. It’s interesting to see the different types of bags and for this store to carry their own version. We just need to remember to bring a bag or store a few in the trunk. Behavioral change is what we need these days to really impact the waste being generated.

Q. What measures are in place to monitor compliance with the bag ban, and how frequently are violations reported?

Inspections are scheduled throughout the year. The City normally halts inspections during the holiday season to allow business to sell without government intervention. We do receive complaints from the public. We’ll schedule an inspection to that particular business. We do encourage people report businesses in violation of the City’s Plastic Bag Ban and Disposable Food Ware Ordinance. Email potential violations at businesssrecycle@honolulu.gov

Q. Looking ahead, are there any additional regulations or initiatives planned to further reduce plastic waste in Honolulu?

Right now, Plastic #1 (PET) and Plastic #2 (HDPE) are the two types of high-value plastics that are recyclable. Plastics #3 through #7 are lower-value and are sent to H-POWER, the City’s, waste to energy facility, along with all other Refuse.

The City will be soliciting a Request For Information (RFI) to recycle plastic #4, Low Density Polyethylene and #5, Polypropylene. If this gains momentum, the City will accept #1, #2, #4 and #5. Currently, only #1 and #2 are recyclable.

On the lines of regulation, we are reviewing the current DFWO to potentially regulate #5 plastic containers. With all these plastic restrictions, the City has awarded a contract to compost green waste, food waste and manufactured compostable material. Composting manufactured compostable material closes the loop on the compliant material relating to the DFWO.

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Disclaimer: this material is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The law varies by jurisdiction and is constantly changing. For legal advice, you should consult a lawyer that can apply the appropriate law to the facts in your case.