Posted on: Thursday, January 20, 2005

Recycler sees fewer lines and problems

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

More than 7 million containers have been collected and processed by the state's largest recycler since the start of the year and the inception of the new bottle deposit law.

And Reynolds Recycling president Terry Telfer, whose company runs the majority of the state-certified redemption centers, said the lines are getting shorter and the process getting smoother after a rocky start nearly three weeks ago.

The number of complaints from consumers has been declining each week, said state Health Department spokeswoman Laura Lott. There were dozens in the first days of the program when consumers grumbled that there were not enough convenient redemption centers to pay them a nickel for each aluminum, glass and plastic beverage container they collected.

People found long lines and got confused by the different rates paid for containers: those without the HI-5 label have a lower per-pound payout depending on the material. (Aluminum pays more than plastic.)

And recyclers can pay $1.50 a pound for people who bring in more than 100 containers per visit, so they don't have to take the time to hand count each container to pay the nickel apiece rate. That confused some people, too.

Telfer said many of the 7 million containers were unlabeled and therefore redeemed at a cheaper rate because no deposit was paid on them. Figures for other recyclers participating in the redemption program were not available.

Telfer and the state remain hopeful that the program will encourage recycling, reduce litter and dependence on landfills.

"The problems are there and problems can be resolved," Telfer said. "You've got to give it time to unkink."

He predicted that beverage container litter, which makes up 60 percent of all litter nationwide, will disappear in Hawai'i.

Telfer said his company and the other recyclers are working hard to meet the needs of the community. "We have hired over 40 people in the last 40 days," he said.

The state hopes for a 70 percent recycling rate, but Lott said it's too early to tell what the rate has been.

"Is this the two-month buildup (of containers people stashed in their garages) or are people waiting for the bugs to be worked out?" she asked. "We don't really know yet."

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