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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, April 6, 2005

Curbside recycling may see overload

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

A new obstacle looms for the city's planned summer launch of curbside recycling islandwide: an overwhelming number of bottles and cans generated by residents' lukewarm response to the state's bottle law.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann met yesterday with the editorial staff at The Honolulu Advertiser.

Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Despite a surge in redemptions during March, the state has paid back only about 10 percent of the deposits it has collected on containers so far. That has led city officials to expect an avalanche of such containers once the curbside effort begins.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said the city has settled differences with the United Public Workers union that have delayed the project time after time.

"The union issues are basically resolved," he said yesterday in a meeting with The Advertiser's editorial board. "The bottle bill now is the new wrinkle."

Union officials were not available for comment yesterday afternoon.

Former mayor Jeremy Harris pushed for the program that allows residents to place various household materials in a 64-gallon rubbish bin that would be picked up twice a month for recycling.

In January, a new state law took effect, requiring retailers to add a HI 5¢ label to most beverage containers — glass, plastic and cans — and the state to certify redemption centers where consumers could go to get their nickel deposits back.

Ken Shimizu, deputy director of the Department of Environmental Services, said the city now expects to have many more people than predicted using their blue bins to dispose of bottles and cans because it's easier than carting them off to a redemption center.

"There's a lot of unhappy people saying it's not worth it to stand in line," Shimizu said.

Shimizu said that can complicate the city's job by requiring more curbside pick-ups and cost more if the recycling company ends up handling more than the 30,000 tons a year stipulated in the city contracts.

Still, Hannemann said he's optimistic that people will begin getting their blue bins picked up as early as June.

At yesterday's meeting at the Honolulu Advertiser offices, Mayor Mufi Hannemann said he plans to start curbside recycling by this summer.

Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

"Our target is still this summer to roll this out," Hannemann said. His administration has estimated it will cost $4.04 million to begin islandwide recycling in the next fiscal year.

Some City Council members also raised questions about vendor Island Recycling Inc., the company selected by the Harris administration. "There's some question whether we proceed," Hannemann said.

Many residents of Mililani, Wahiawa, and the North Shore through Kahuku all the way to Waimanalo have had the blue bins for months.

In other news, Hannemann said:

• He wants to dispel the "false notion by some that this is all about conducting a vendetta" to dismantle Harris projects. He listed some 15 Harris initiatives, from roadwork and canoe halau to an expanded Honolulu City Lights program, that he is continuing.

• He made a strategic decision to support pay raises for public workers rather than fight the increases and end up forced to pay later after arbitration.

• He's been impressed by the quality and hustle of city employees who are taking on challenges that others might have suggested should be contracted out to private companies.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at 535-2429 or rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.