Bill 40, which bans plastic bags, plastic utensils and Styrofoam containers, will place Hawaii in the forefront of environmental stewardship. Our beautiful state is among the most visited places in America. In 2016, more than 8 million visitors came to our state. As stewards of this tourism windfall, we provide safety, clean living conditions and an experience not soon forgotten by our guests.

Plastic litter plagues our state. Driving out of the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, discarded Styrofoam containers line the highway, as in many other places. Single-use plastic water bottles, Styrofoam containers and other plastics eventually break down into microplastics, choking our oceans and harming our marine life.

I am proud to help protect our state against plastics and Styrofoam. I hope to inspire many of you to rise up and take a stand in this magnificent state. Let’s start with Bill 40. Let’s be a world leader in banning plastics and Styrofoam.

Robert Binnie

McCully-Moiliili

Click here to read more Letters to the Editor.