Budget-conscious Hawai'i consumers keep recycling their drink bottles and cans at a high rate as the state continues to tweak the program, but there's no move to increase the beverage deposit fee.

That's the word from state recycling coordinator Jennifer Tosaki. The state on Monday updated some of the weighing rates paid at redemption centers across the state.

Tosaki said the state regularly surveys the amounts paid at the centers compared to the number of containers to try to ensure that the weighing rates offer consumers a fair exchange.

Tosaki said the state would prefer not to raise the deposit fee, as long as the balance in the fund remains adequate to handle expenses. At last report this month, she said the balance was $15 million. Last year, lawmakers had eyed the fund as a potential source of income but rejected moves to raid the fund for other programs.

The most recent changes in the weighing rates reflect the recent trend for manufacturers to create thinner, lighter containers, especially in the smallest bottles, those containing 17 ounces or less of product.

"The small containers are definitely getting lighter," she said. Consumers are now getting nearly 10 more per pound — $1.22 compared to $1.135 previously — for the smaller containers.

So, it is a good idea for consumers who redeem small plastic bottles to sort them out from the larger-size bottles and redeem them separately.

This does not affect consumers who prefer to request that their containers be hand-counted. And consumers are allowed by law to request a count up to 200 containers. Or people can use the reverse vending machines that count the containers one at a time to ensure a nickel by nickel return.

The HI-5 deposit program adds 6 cents to the cost of a qualifying beverage container, with a penny as a fee to run the program and 5 cents a refundable deposit that consumers can get back if they return the container to a redemption center.

Although state law calls for a half-cent increase if redemption rises above 70 percent, which it did last year to 72 percent and is expected to do again this year, the state health director can hold off on the increase and so far has done so.

The redemption rate for the most current 12-month period (October 2008 through September 2009) is about 78 percent, officials said.

Another recent change came in a higher weighing rate for one of the least common types of HI-5 containers — the bi-metal container, which have a seam running up the side and make up only about 1 percent of Hawai'i's recycled containers.

Those cans most often are used for pineapple juice and coconut milk. The previous weighing rate was adopted from California and counted eight containers to a pound. That's been changed to 4.6 containers per pound.

While some consumers prefer to count their containers, some prefer the faster service they get for weighing.

"Weighing is really an option for convenience and quick refund operation," Tosaki said.


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