The city began delivering green-waste bins yesterday to 24,000 homes in East Honolulu from Kuli'ou'ou to Manoa as the city began the latest phase of its curbside recycling program.

About 12,000 homes in Kailua will get their bins in September, while 3,000 on the North Shore will receive theirs in October.

"The entire staff is excited about this program going into effect," said recycling project coordinator Suzanne Jones. "We've worked really hard on the pilot. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

The bins for mixed recyclables are set to be delivered to all three areas between September and the first week of November.

The city's pilot program for curbside recycling, which began in October, covered 11,200 homes in Mililani and 7,300 homes in Hawai'i Kai.

"Islandwide curbside recycling has numerous benefits. Recycling aids to sustainability while conserving space in our landfill," says Department of Environmental Services liaison Markus Owens.