LIHU‘E — Little more than one week after Kaua‘i’s new plastic bag ban went into effect, some stores are still giving customers plastic bags for their purchases. The Kaua‘i County Solid Waste Division, which is tasked with administering this law,
LIHU‘E — Little more than one week after Kaua‘i’s new plastic bag ban went into effect, some stores are still giving customers plastic bags for their purchases.
The Kaua‘i County Solid Waste Division, which is tasked with administering this law, said the office has received approximately 10 complaints of stores still using plastic.
“Our findings indicate that all businesses intend to comply, but some aren’t aware of the details of the law,” a Solid Waste Division representative said via county spokeswoman Mary Daubert.
Vitamin World in Kukui Grove Center was still giving out plastic bags to customers on Wednesday. Store manager Aaron Johnston said he thought plastic bags were permitted under the ordinance as long as they are recyclable.
“The bags we used before weren’t recyclable,” he said, “so we ordered the plastic recyclable ones from corporate headquarters.”
Solid Waste said it is “working with businesses to inform them of the requirements, provide them reasonable notice and are allowing them time for compliance.”
No fines have been issued. Solid Waste said reasonable notice must be provided prior to administrative action.
“(The) Recycling Office is responding to complaints,” it said, “and also initiating enforcement activities as we do our personal shopping.”
The new law prohibits the distribution of plastic “checkout” bags, meaning bags provided by retailers at checkout stands, cash registers, and points of sale or points of departure, that are used for transporting food and merchandise.
Retailers may provide customers with “recyclable paper bags,” narrowly defined as sacks that contain no old-growth fiber, are 100 percent recyclable, contain a minimum of 40 percent post-consumer recycled content, and display the words “reusable” and “recyclable” in a highly visible manner on the outside of the bag.
“We are logging complaints and non-compliance issues, following up by contacting store owners and managers and visiting stores to verify the complaints, explaining the law as necessary to the stores, and issuing notices for correction,” Solid Waste said.
It should be noted that Kaua‘i County officials, such as division heads, say they are not permitted to communicate directly with news media, a policy the mayor’s office has had in place since 2008, a public information official said. Official comments must therefore go through a county spokesperson.
