HILO — Installing water bottle filling stations at Hawaii County parks and encouraging use of an anti-littering phone app are among the recommendations of the county’s packaging waste task force.
The group — which included a mix of environmentalists, business representatives and county staff — submitted its final report, including four main policy recommendations, to the County Council this week.
Other ideas include creating educational programs to reduce marine debris, joining the Malama 808 anti-littering initiative and encouraging manufacturing of packaging material on Hawaii Island that conforms with its solid waste management plan.
The council adopted a resolution recommending use of bottle filling stations to help reduce consumption of plastic water bottles at its Wednesday meeting. Several others are pending.
It’s not clear if that would involve simply adding a new faucet to drinking water fountains better suited for refilling bottles or something more sophisticated.
“I’m glad of what came out,” said Puna Councilman Danny Paleka, who proposed the task force as an alternative to bans on packaging products, such as Styrofoam.
“There were challenges,” he added, regarding different points of view. “It was good challenges.”
Paleka said the task force adopted recommendations that each member could get behind.
On Tuesday, he requested the group continue meeting for another year, a proposal that the council’s Environmental Management Committee and some of the task force’s members opposed.
Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille, who was also part of the task force, said she’d like the county to set more of an example on reducing waste.
“We sit at the council with all our bottled water,” she said. “I don’t like that.”
Wille proposed banning use of Styrofoam containers earlier this year. The measure failed.
Paleka said there were discussions to reduce or eliminate the county’s practice of buying bottled water or non-disposable items, but they didn’t make the final cut.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
