WAILUKU, Maui — Would customers pay an extra 15 or 25 cents to eat a plate lunch out of an environmentally friendly plastic clamshell?

Some say yes, some no. But Glenn Horiuchi, who sells plastic food containers on O'ahu, told a Maui County Council committee Monday that in a real-life experiment, the answer seemed to be no.

The Maui council's Infrastructure Management Committee is considering a bill that would outlaw polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, with few exceptions. After listening to 90 minutes of testimony, committee members agreed the idea needs more study. They asked the county Environmental Management Department to inquire, especially into the experience of other municipalities, such as Portland, Ore., that have already tried it.

The Styrofoam plate lunch box and coffee cup may be an endangered species. Even Horiuchi said so. But he pleaded for more time to let manufacturers bring new plastic resins made from corn or soybeans on line.

"We're really on the verge of a revolution," said Horiuchi, chief operating officer of K. Yamada Distributors, which owns Hawaii Foam Products, the only manufacturer in the Islands of such items.

Cheap is the key word. Biodegradable and compostable alternatives are available now, but Harry Nakagawa of Maui Chemical & Paper Products, which sells Horiuchi's and other food containers, said the cost spread is about 15 cents an item, depending on size.

Testifier Ane Takaha said she was sure Maui residents would pay the extra 15 cents or so, if they were informed of the reason. But Horiuchi said a health food store in East Honolulu had bought a case of his biodegradable containers six months ago, offering them as an alternative to Styrofoam for an extra 25 cents. The store has not had to reorder yet.