Oahu Plastic Bag Ban Takes Effect

  The plan to ban plastic bags in Honolulu has been delayed until next year.  Members of the Honolulu City Council introduced Bill 38 to more precisely define the word biodegradable.  Councilman Stanley Chang said the bill was deferred last week to allow more time to study the impacts of the measure. 

Experts say that there is no such thing as a 100% biodegradable bag, so advocates are pushing for an outright ban. 

Suzanne Frazer represents the Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii.  

  For the past year, shoppers in Hawaii County have been unable to get plastic checkout bags or have had to pay for them at the checkout stand.  But starting soon, Hawaii County will ban the use of plastic checkout bags entirely.  HPR's Sherry Bracken gives us the details.

Starting this July, consumers on O‘ahu will no longer receive plastic bags for their groceries, or most other purchases. A bag ban is already in force across other islands, and starting today, there are new restrictions on plastic bags in Hong Kong. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.