Posted on: Thursday, February 17, 2005
Consumers not seeking bottle recycling refunds
By Sean Hao
Advertiser Staff Writer
The state has collected more than $5 million in deposits under a new bottle recycling law but has paid out only a small fraction of that — about $333,000 — in redemptions. While the numbers are still being counted, early indications are many consumers have not taken their containers to recycling centers and are either waiting or are forfeiting the 5-cent deposit per bottle.
The inconvenience of sorting, cleaning and carrying containers to a limited number of recycling centers could be discouraging some consumers.
"Somehow they've got to make it easier," said Jim Serpa, an Air Force major who lives in 'Alewa Heights and has not yet collected any of his deposits on containers. Serpa said he supports recycling and suggests the state consider curbside pickup to get consumers to do it.
Consumers started paying a 5-cent deposit on eligible containers Nov. 1. Since Jan. 1 they have been able to get back their deposit by taking containers to recycling centers.
The state collected $5 million in deposits in November and December and, as of Feb. 10, paid out $333,604.15 in redemptions, according to the state Department of Health. The department said the amount of deposits collected in January and so far in February was not yet available.
Consumers initially complained of long lines at some recycling centers, the need to separate different types of bottles and the requirement that aluminum and plastic containers not be crushed. Some also complained that weighing the redeemed containers, rather than counting them, reduced the refund.
State officials say they have been working to make redemption easier. The number of redemption centers statewide has more than doubled since Jan. 1 to 60.
Janice Okubo, a health department spokeswoman, added that the amount of total redemptions could rise when more redemption centers put in for a reimbursement from the state. So far this year only 31 of 50 container redemption centers have been reimbursed by the state.
The relatively low redemption rate — 6.67 million containers returned versus more than 100 million eligible containers sold — could fuel concerns among critics that the program is more of a tax than a deposit.
Before the program started, the health department estimated a redemption rate of 70 percent. Okubo acknowledged that so far the redemption rate has been lower than that. However, the department expected redemptions to pick up as the program expands, more redemption centers are opened and the process of redeeming containers becomes easier.
"In five or six months we'll probably have a better reading on the numbers," Okubo said. "It seems like a lot of people have not yet recycled their containers. Potentially we could have a surge in redemptions at any time."
Okubo added that the 100 million containers sold in November and December may have been inordinately high because of the holiday season.
The number of eligible containers also could decline as some consumers change their purchasing habits to avoid the deposit. Two-liter bottles, for example, do not require a deposit.
"The amount of two-liters sold has increased by 15 to 20 percent because of the bottle bill," said Ron Shima, owner of Shima's Market in Waimanalo.
Other consumers are likely tossing containers in the trash, despite the 5-cent redemption due.
"The people chalk it up to the cost of the goods they are buying," Shima said.
Sam Slom, R-8th (Kahala, Hawai'i Kai), a critic of the program, said he's not surprised at the low redemption rate given the problems consumers have raised with the program. Slom said, on the contrary, January redemptions could represent a high water mark given that it was the first time consumers could return containers collected since November.
"I certainly wouldn't expect that it would get higher in subsequent months," Slom said. "That's the problem, as low as it is now, it may be lower in the future."
Reach Sean Hao at 525-8093 or shao@honoluluadvertiser.com.
