Posted on: Friday, February 18, 2005

EDITORIAL
Bottle law: There's no turning back now

Perhaps we were naive to suppose that once Hawai'i's "bottle law" refund system got up and running, there would be no turning back.

After years of formidable resistance from the beverage industry, the law went into effect this Jan. 1. Unfortunately, its implementation has left quite a bit to be desired.

The uneven start is partly because the law failed to go far enough, providing only for a small number of redemption centers with limited hours and short staffing.

By contrast, Oregon's 33-year-old container redemption law has thrived not only because the majority of Oregonians are environmentally friendly, but also because opportunities to exchange containers for a refund are everywhere.

That's how the law virtually removed empty drinking containers from the Oregon roadside and dramatically reduced containers from its waste stream.

For the most part, Oregonians are happy with their bottle law, and there's little thought of doing without it.

Hawai'i's lawmakers, however, shrank from going that extra mile, mandating redemption centers instead of having supermarkets and stores accept the empties and issue refunds, to appease the retailers enough to get legislation enacted.

What's needed now are the extra steps to ensure the bottle law works well, by making redemption convenient and effective. That likely will include having retailers accept container returns.

It also includes additional hours and locations for recycling centers, increased "charity" collection points at schools and other locations for those who wish to see their 5 cents go to a good cause and greater consumer education.

With rapidly filling landfills and the importance of a litter-free environment to our valued visitor industry, recycling must become a reality and part of our lifestyle in this state.