We cannot just “throw things away”. By banning the sale and rental of disposable bodyboards, we are one step closer to supporting our environment in a positive way. Less disposable, more reusable.
I fully support the ban on the sale and rental of disposable body boards. We have a responsibility to our environment and our community to treat our resources with the utmost care. These wasteful products clutter and poison our world. Our kūpuna say that we should always leave a place better than the way we found it. They say that you should use only what you need and no more. They have taught us these ways because we our an island people and our survival depends on our treatment of our environment. We need to do better to abide by the values of our native Hawaiian ancestors who have survived and thrived here on Maui for thousands of years by treading in these lands with much, much care.
A ban on these boards is a small but important step towards the care that we need to show our world to be sure we can thrive into the future.
I am a practitioner of traditional Hawaiian artforms an elementary and adult educator in ʻĪao Valley. In my lifetime, I have seen the devastating effects on our Maui environment due to the lack of proper resource management, overtourism, overdevelopment, and pollution. I actively engage in conversations with our Maui community regarding sustainability, independence, and responsible environmental stewardship so I can influence this young generation, encourage and inspire them to do better than we have and, like our kūpuna have instructed from their learned perspective, leave our island better than the way they found it.
Thank you to our Councilmembers for bringing this important issue forward and for their support of this ban.
Ke aloha nui,
Kahu Kekai Robinson, Poʻokula Kūikawā
Ke Kula ʻo Piʻilani, ʻĪao, Maui
Our throw away culture has to end. There is no reason for someone who is only visiting our island to purchase a disposable body board. They know they aren't taking it home with them. It's instant trash. Producing them is environmentally unsound and to be used for a few days then take decades to centuries to decompose is unacceptable.
Any visitor who wants to body board should have no problems renting a durable body board.
Aloha mai kākou,
I am the park caretaker for Makena State Park and I support the ban of renting and selling cheap styrofoam boards because of the excessive amounts I need to dispose of every day. One day I picked up 16 broken boards in the park left behind by park visitors! On an average I collect at least three every day. During the summer we are left with hundreds of unwanted or damaged boogie boards.
We live on an island that buries our trash in the landfills. We need to recycle as much as possible and avoid these types of unnecessary waste products causing harm to our environment. This is one step towards a better future and healthier land for all to enjoy the beauty Hawaii brings. This is a no brainer decision, and it will allow local companies to rent out better quality boards that don't break as fast and hopefully are given safety advice and safer surf spots to visitors to lessen the injury count.
Mahalo nui,
Justin Kekiwi
My name is Jen Mather and I SUPPORT the prohibition on sales and rentals of disposable bodyboards & coolers. These items are often single-use and end up in our land fills, often sold to people who only see the convenience of them without the repercussions. To ensure a cleaner environment, less garbage in our landfills, and better understanding of sustainable/reusable goods, this next step in banning further single-use/disposable items is necessary.
Aloha! My name is Abner Nakihei Jr! I’m a lesee from the Villages Of Leialii in the beautiful West Maui! I support this because I see so much of these cheap disposable body boards left at beach parks and just thrown away!
Removing cheaper options for the Maui Community causes a loss of families who can't afford a $300 bodyboard to go without. So called "cheap" boards are also entry level for those that might get interested in the sport but not have the funds to buy an expensive board. This is not a solution but rather creating elitism for ocean use where you either can afford to participate or you can't.
The first problem is there is no definition of what comprises these cheap boards. Size, price, material? These are not single-user as implied, rather are tossed out by visitors because it's cheaper to do so than take it with them. The real issue is the tossing of the boards and that is what the county should address.
A solution could be to have collection sites at hotels where visitors could provide to anyone who wants to use it. A re-use program. Or a non-profit that works with kids could take them and use them.
The problem trying to be addressed is not the boards themselves but people's actions. Expensive boards are just as bad for the environment and often contain more plastics.
While the intent focuses on tourists, this type of law will have repercussions on local people.
I’m a resident manager at a condo complex in Kihei and the number of boogie boards etc in our dumpsters is overwhelming. Let’s stop the sale of these disposable items and encourage the rental of real equipment. This would help the local economy and the overflowing landfill
I'm writing in support of prohibiting the sale of disposable bodyboards and coolers. Our environment is already polluted with non-reusable, non degradable trash, we see evidence of this everywhere on Maui, especially the beaches and in the ocean. Our landfill is limited and already stretched to capacity. Let's give our 'aina and kai the respect it deserves.
We cannot just “throw things away”. By banning the sale and rental of disposable bodyboards, we are one step closer to supporting our environment in a positive way. Less disposable, more reusable.
Aloha mai kākou,
I fully support the ban on the sale and rental of disposable body boards. We have a responsibility to our environment and our community to treat our resources with the utmost care. These wasteful products clutter and poison our world. Our kūpuna say that we should always leave a place better than the way we found it. They say that you should use only what you need and no more. They have taught us these ways because we our an island people and our survival depends on our treatment of our environment. We need to do better to abide by the values of our native Hawaiian ancestors who have survived and thrived here on Maui for thousands of years by treading in these lands with much, much care.
A ban on these boards is a small but important step towards the care that we need to show our world to be sure we can thrive into the future.
I am a practitioner of traditional Hawaiian artforms an elementary and adult educator in ʻĪao Valley. In my lifetime, I have seen the devastating effects on our Maui environment due to the lack of proper resource management, overtourism, overdevelopment, and pollution. I actively engage in conversations with our Maui community regarding sustainability, independence, and responsible environmental stewardship so I can influence this young generation, encourage and inspire them to do better than we have and, like our kūpuna have instructed from their learned perspective, leave our island better than the way they found it.
Thank you to our Councilmembers for bringing this important issue forward and for their support of this ban.
Ke aloha nui,
Kahu Kekai Robinson, Poʻokula Kūikawā
Ke Kula ʻo Piʻilani, ʻĪao, Maui
Our throw away culture has to end. There is no reason for someone who is only visiting our island to purchase a disposable body board. They know they aren't taking it home with them. It's instant trash. Producing them is environmentally unsound and to be used for a few days then take decades to centuries to decompose is unacceptable.
Any visitor who wants to body board should have no problems renting a durable body board.
Aloha mai kākou,
I am the park caretaker for Makena State Park and I support the ban of renting and selling cheap styrofoam boards because of the excessive amounts I need to dispose of every day. One day I picked up 16 broken boards in the park left behind by park visitors! On an average I collect at least three every day. During the summer we are left with hundreds of unwanted or damaged boogie boards.
We live on an island that buries our trash in the landfills. We need to recycle as much as possible and avoid these types of unnecessary waste products causing harm to our environment. This is one step towards a better future and healthier land for all to enjoy the beauty Hawaii brings. This is a no brainer decision, and it will allow local companies to rent out better quality boards that don't break as fast and hopefully are given safety advice and safer surf spots to visitors to lessen the injury count.
Mahalo nui,
Justin Kekiwi
Aloha Committee Chair King & Committee Members,
My name is Jen Mather and I SUPPORT the prohibition on sales and rentals of disposable bodyboards & coolers. These items are often single-use and end up in our land fills, often sold to people who only see the convenience of them without the repercussions. To ensure a cleaner environment, less garbage in our landfills, and better understanding of sustainable/reusable goods, this next step in banning further single-use/disposable items is necessary.
Mahalo,
Jen Mather
Aloha! My name is Abner Nakihei Jr! I’m a lesee from the Villages Of Leialii in the beautiful West Maui! I support this because I see so much of these cheap disposable body boards left at beach parks and just thrown away!
Mahalo!
Of course we should ban as much disposable plastic and styrofoam items as possible. Major pollution. Major killer of aquatic life. Thanks
Removing cheaper options for the Maui Community causes a loss of families who can't afford a $300 bodyboard to go without. So called "cheap" boards are also entry level for those that might get interested in the sport but not have the funds to buy an expensive board. This is not a solution but rather creating elitism for ocean use where you either can afford to participate or you can't.
The first problem is there is no definition of what comprises these cheap boards. Size, price, material? These are not single-user as implied, rather are tossed out by visitors because it's cheaper to do so than take it with them. The real issue is the tossing of the boards and that is what the county should address.
A solution could be to have collection sites at hotels where visitors could provide to anyone who wants to use it. A re-use program. Or a non-profit that works with kids could take them and use them.
The problem trying to be addressed is not the boards themselves but people's actions. Expensive boards are just as bad for the environment and often contain more plastics.
While the intent focuses on tourists, this type of law will have repercussions on local people.
I’m a resident manager at a condo complex in Kihei and the number of boogie boards etc in our dumpsters is overwhelming. Let’s stop the sale of these disposable items and encourage the rental of real equipment. This would help the local economy and the overflowing landfill
I'm writing in support of prohibiting the sale of disposable bodyboards and coolers. Our environment is already polluted with non-reusable, non degradable trash, we see evidence of this everywhere on Maui, especially the beaches and in the ocean. Our landfill is limited and already stretched to capacity. Let's give our 'aina and kai the respect it deserves.
Thank you,
Joy Kaaz
Kihei resident