Solomon Espinas and his friend Tracie Romias head out from Palolo almost once a month to recycle a truckload of bottles and cans, and they agree with state officials that the process runs more smoothly now than it did in the first few months of the state beverage deposit law.

"It's a lot better," Espinas said. Early last year, the centers' hours were shorter, the lines longer and the workers and the customers didn't quite have it together, he said.

Now, people sort their bottles and cans, and take the plastic caps off the bottles, and the lines move quickly, Espinas said. "They know what to do."

Yesterday, state health department officials released the first complete year's statistics of container redemption after the state imposed a nickel deposit on most bottles and cans beginning last year.

Deputy Health Director Laurence Lau said the overall redemption rate for 2005 was 61 percent, down from some recent monthly average rates that ranged from 72 percent to 80 percent.

Since Hawai'i became the 11th state to enact a law requiring a deposit on most drink containers, Lau said, more than 900 million containers have been sold and more than half a billion redeemed.

As of the end of 2005, state officials had collected $58.7 million in deposits and fees and spent $37 million, Lau said. He said $26.4 million went to refunds to consumers; $8.5 million in handling fees to redemption centers; and $2 million paid for administrative costs.

Overall, Lau said, he finds the numbers encouraging.

"The program is a lot better than when we started," Lau said. "It's more efficient."

Lau said the number of redemption sites statewide increased from 44 to 74 over the past year, and the companies involved have hired more than 150 new employees to keep up with demand.

Lau said state officials have improved the program and will continue to improve it. He said they would like to see the counties take over the program. And the state would back a proposal to have retailers redeem the bottles and cans at the same places they sell them.

But Lau said the state is showing its commitment to continuing to run the program as it now stands by asking state lawmakers to make permanent half a dozen staff positions and to allow them to hire four more workers.

In November, a state audit criticized the program for not accurately tracking the numbers of containers brought in, opening the possibility of fraud. The audit also said customer service was poor.

The state's largest redemption company is Reynolds Recycling. Its president, Terry Telfer, said the company has worked hard to answer complaints, staying open later, arranging for more frequent pickup of containers so there's less down time, and hiring supervisors to check on the accuracy of the number of containers being redeemed.

On Maui, manager Sherri Pell of Aloha Recycling said the deposit redemption is making a difference, with more people taking back containers, and fewer bottles and cans dumped roadside.

Pell also said nonprofit groups are using the containers to raise money. She said 32 organizations raised $3,367 last year by having people designate their donations. Other groups run their own redemption drives to raise money.

Lau said there's been no specific study to show that litter has been reduced since the deposits have been charged. But Pell said she's seen the difference herself as a volunteer in an annual community litter work day along a one-mile stretch of a Maui road heading toward Waiehu near the Happy Valley Bridge.

Pell said they used to gather 11 or 12 bags of rubbish but last year picked up about half that.

Meanwhile, customers at the Reynolds Recycling Center trailer at Beretania and Isenberg in Honolulu seemed generally happy with how the centers work now.

Retired pilot Ed Carlson, who lives in the Kapi'olani area, said he thinks they run fine. "It's easy for me," he said. "It's just on my way home."

Meanwhile, the Palolo pals — Espinas and Romias — have turned redemption into a fun routine. Yesterday they collected $27.65, then invested in a lunch of "raw fish, crab salad and juice."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.