Ban Polystyrene Foam Bodyboards in Kauaʻi

The Surfrider Kauaʻi Chapter played a key role in supporting Councilmember Fern Holland in the passage of Bill 2976, which prohibits the sale, rental, or distribution of disposable polystyrene foam bodyboards in the County of Kauaʻi.

Polystyrene is a petroleum-based plastic commonly used to make lightweight foam products. It poses a significant threat in coastal environments because it does not biodegrade. Instead, it breaks apart into small fragments that persist indefinitely in sand and ocean waters. Due to its lightweight and brittle nature, polystyrene is easily transported by wind and water into the marine environment, where it is frequently mistaken for food by marine life—leading to injury, starvation, and death.

While many counties across Hawaiʻi have taken important steps to ban polystyrene foodware, Kauaʻi County is the first to go beyond food service products to address other major sources of polystyrene pollution—specifically disposable foam bodyboards. This forward-thinking approach recognizes that pollution prevention must address the full lifecycle and use of materials entering our coastal systems.

Beach recreation should not come at the expense of beach health. Bill 2976 represents an important step toward aligning how we recreate with the long-term protection of the places we love. By reducing pollution at the source, this ordinance promotes sustainable recreation, protects marine ecosystems, and builds momentum for policies that safeguard both environmental and community health.

Surfrider Kauaʻi actively supported Councilmember Holland by engaging the community to provide testimony at both public hearings for Bill 2976. In the November 11 public hearing, Surfrider Kauaʻi Marine Debris Lead Barbara Wiedner—armed with a bucket of polystyrene fragments collected from Kauaʻi’s beaches—drew on decades of beach cleanup experience to deliver important, firsthand testimony on the prevalence of polystyrene pollution and the risks it poses to our coastal and marine environments.

Mahalo to Council-member Fern Holland for her continued leadership and commitment to environmental stewardship, ocean protection, and policies that reflect care for Kauaʻi’s people, beaches, and marine ecosystems.