The Hawaii Legislature is considering banning the distribution of plastic shopping bags by retail stores and supermarkets.
Senate Bill 584 will be heard at the state Capitol Thursday afternoon.
“Plastic shopping bags require fossil fuel to manufacture, contribute to litter, crowd landfills with nonbiodegradable waste, and are dangerous to wildlife,” the measure reads.
The bill’s language suggests that Hawaii should follow similar bans enacted in San Francisco and Oakland.
Other U.S. cities including Berkeley, Boston, Portland and Santa Monica, as well as countries such as Australia, China and South Africa, are considering similar ordinances or are discouraging the use of plastic bags.
Maui County has banned the use of plastic shopping bags, and Hawaii County has considered a ban.
Local retailers have opposed the bans, arguing that they are costly to business.
If passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Linda Lingle, the prohibition on plastic shopping bags would begin Jan. 1, 2011.
The Senate Committee on Energy and Environment also will hear a measure Thursday (SB 245) that would establish a statewide “at-store plastic carry-out bag recycling program” that would require some retailers to collect and recycle plastic bags in their stores.
The Senate also will consider a bill (SB 244) that calls for providing a refund or store credit to retail customers who do not use plastic shopping bags, a practice already common at some stores.