The number of recycling bins set on curbsides in Mililani and Hawai'i Kai has been growing since the city's curbside recycling pilot program began in November, a city official said.

The city also saw a jump in recycling bin set-out rates — particularly in Mililani — after it eliminated twice-weekly trash collection in both communities about a month ago, city recycling coordinator Suzanne Jones said.

Jones emphasized that it's too early to draw any conclusions about the pilot program. But she pointed to "good signs" so far: a gradual increase in recycling bins set out, low levels of unacceptable materials among collected recyclables and green waste, and a relatively low number of households that requested additional gray trash bins.

"We're really excited," Jones said. "It looks very good; the response has been good. But we just don't want to draw conclusions or start doing evaluations too early. They've had one month of having once-a-week refuse, once-a-week recycling, so we do want to allow everybody to still have that chance to settle in."

The city in November began collecting mixed recyclables and green waste from 12,000 households in Mililani and 8,000 households Hawai'i Kai. The week of Jan. 7 marked a critical juncture in the program, when the city began collecting trash only once a week in those communities. Mililani residents have the option to pay a $30 quarterly fee for twice-weekly trash pickup.

About 400 households in Mililani have paid for a second day of trash collection a week for the first quarter of the year, Jones said. An additional 78 have purchased second-day trash pickup for the second quarter, although it's unclear how many of those who bought the first-quarter service will opt to continue it, she said.

The elimination of second-weekly trash pickup appears to have triggered at least some households — particularly in Mililani — to get on board with the program, Jones said.

In December, the average set-out rate for blue recycling bins was 325 per route in Mililani and 613 in Hawai'i Kai, she said. Each route covers about 1,000 households.

In January — not including data from the final week — the average blue bin set-out rate was 415 in Mililani and 631 in Hawai'i Kai. The set-out rates for green waste bins also have grown.

Jones said the set-out rate is just one part of determining program participation, adding that officials will also gather more information through a survey in March and April.

The city will make a preliminary evaluation report on the program by June.

Jones also said about 270 households from the two communities have received additional green bins for green waste, and about 150 households have asked for an additional gray bin for trash.

That's up from what was reported in late December. Then, the city said it received requests for 175 additional green bins and 28 additional gray bins.

Still, those are low numbers, Jones said.

The city has received about 1,500 calls and 300 e-mails from residents about the curbside program since it began in November, Jones said. She said only 37 calls were categorized as complaints, which ranged from the shift to once-a-week garbage pickup to the difficulty of storing three bins. Most of the calls and e-mails were from people seeking information or assistance, she said.

Mililani Mauka resident Angie Adriance hasn't called the city to complain, but she's unhappy with the project. She said her family had already been redeeming HI-5¢ beverage containers and is putting newspapers in the blue recycling bin. But she said her family found it still needs the second-weekly trash pickup, which she will purchase for the second quarter.

"It's horrible, I can't stand it," said Adriance, 36. "I have two small children, and we have a lot of rubbish. Just the other day, my husband was moving the rubbish bin out to the other side of the house (and) it just smelled up the whole garage. That's one week's worth of rubbish.

"We're really disgusted with this. It's unfair that we have to pay extra when everybody else is getting two days of pickup."

Dean Hazama, chairman of the Mililani Mauka/Launani Valley Neighborhood Board, said the board hasn't heard much complaints about the elimination of the second-day trash pickup.

"I think everybody's pretty much transitioning into that," he said. Hazama added that he's been fine with just once-weekly trash pickup, but noted that he's in a two-person household.

Hazama also said Mililani recycling rates may not be as high because many families already give many recyclables, such as beverage containers, to schools and nonprofit groups for fundraising.

Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board Chairman Greg Knudsen also said area residents appear to be supportive of the program.

"There was concern initially that our regular trash pickup would go from twice a week to once a week, but the rationale was that if you take out your recyclables and your yard waste, then there should be plenty of room for your regular trash," said Knudsen, who has a household of three. "And that appears to be the case."

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.