BUREAUCRACY BUSTER
Two charities want TVs but only if they work
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Staff Writer
Q: Sometime in August, you had a segment for recycling computers. I am inspired to find a recycler who will take my now-defunct television. My hope is not to have to toss the TV via bulk pickup. There are some national online Web sites that talk about how good it is to recycle old televisions, and I am convinced to do so.
A: City Recycling Coordinator Suzanne Jones said that at this time televisions and small appliances end up in the landfill. But she said the Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries accept working televisions and appliances. Or she suggested looking for a TV/appliance repair shop. Jones acknowledged that it seems easier and sometimes cheaper to simply buy a new replacement, "but that leaves us with the ever-growing problem of disposal."
For recycling information on O'ahu, log on to www.opala.org or call 692-5410. For recycling information on Kaua'i, call 241-6891; Maui, 270-7880; Moloka'i and Lana'i, (888) 991-4000; East Hawai'i, 961-2676, and West Hawai'i, 329-2886.
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In response to an earlier column on the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center wanted to let readers know of its advocacy services. The private, nonprofit public interest organization was established to protect and advocate for disabled people's rights mandated in federal laws, including the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The center's services include help in resolving an issue for disabled people; information and referral assistance; education and training for people with disabilities, families, communities, legal professionals and other service providers; and outreach to underserved people.
Services are free to anyone with a disability.
For more information about the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, call 949-2922 on O'ahu. On the Neighbor Islands, call (800) 882-1057. You may also visit, or write to, 900 Fort Street Mall, Suite 1040, Honolulu, HI, 96813.
Do you ever get frustrated or confused trying to navigate the various layers of government? Are you looking for an answer to a simple question but can't figure out where to start? If you have a question or a problem and need help getting to the right person, you can reach The Bureaucracy Buster one of three ways:
• Write to:
The Bureaucracy Buster
The Honolulu Advertiser
605 Kapi'olani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96813
• e-mail: buster@honoluluadvertiser.com
• Phone: 535-2454 and leave a message.
Be sure to give us your name and daytime telephone number.
