Poipu Beach on Kauai

Beachgoers on Kauai will no longer be able to buy disposable bodyboards, as the island's Mayor Derek Kawakami signed a bill into law banning their sale on Dec. 10.

Introduced in October and passed unanimously by the Kauai County Council in November, Bill 2976 makes it illegal to sell, rent or distribute disposable bodyboards made of polystyrene foam – also known as plastic foam – because of the material's harmful environmental impact, according to a news release. The bill is set to go into effect in one year.

Disposable bodyboards are often inexpensive and don't last long, making them popular among travelers visiting the islands for a short period. They easily break down into smaller fragments that create more litter and also pose an ingestion risk to marine animals and birds – some of which are uniquely native to Hawaii's environment, according to the bill.

"Disposable bodyboards may seem small, but their impact has been anything but small," said Mayor Kawakami in a news release on Dec. 10. "By eliminating polystyrene foam boards from stores and rentals, we are protecting our beaches, our ocean, and the wildlife that calls Kauai home."

Those who violate the law will face a $100 penalty, then $200 for a second violation in the same year. After that, they will be fined $500 for any further violations in the same year.

The bill doesn't outright ban all bodyboards, including those made of more durable materials such as high-density polyethylene or polypropylene.

In Aug. 2022, Maui passed its own ban on polystyrene foam bodyboards as part of an initiative called "Foam Free Maui County." In 2018, the second-largest Hawaiian island banned plastic foam food containers.

What else is banned from Hawaii beaches?

Polystyrene foam bodyboards aren't the only common beach-day items banned in Hawaii in order to protect its environment. In 2018, the Aloha State made history as the first U.S. state to enact a law prohibiting sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate – believed to be toxic to coral reefs – without a prescription.

In 2022, Maui County broadened the statewide ban one step further by outlawing non-mineral sunscreens from Maui, Lanai and Molokai. Only those with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are allowed to be sold and used.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kauai island bans popular beach item, adds a $100 fine

Reporting by Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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