Kaiser Permanente Hawaii said Wednesday that all of its hospitals and clinics in the Islands have banned the practice of dispensing plastic bags to the health-care organization’s patients.
The Hawaii region is the first in Kaiser Permanante to enact a plastic-bag ban. Kaiser will instead offer biodegradable paper bags to its patients upon request.
“It is past time that communities as a whole, move away from plastic bag usage and toward a more sustainable and healthy practice,” Mike Hasselle, Kaiser’s supply chain director for the Hawaii region, said in a statement. “Although the government ban on dispensing plastic bags on Oahu doesn’t take effect until July 1, 2015, we hope that our initiative inspires other organizations to follow suit and take action earlier.”
The Honolulu bag ban was signed into lawlast year.