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Bottle Law in trouble100 days before recycling program starts Administration has yet to hire key positions, approve details, or begin public education NEWS
RELEASE HONOLULU - Short staff the program, delay implementation, and confuse the public-that's what bottle bill proponents fear the Administration is doing in an attempt to undermine the effectiveness of the state beverage container deposit program, or bottle bill. The nickel-redemption program-which aims to recover 80% of the 800 million bottles and cans used annually in Hawai`i-is slated to begin 100 days from today. But Department of Health personnel to run the program have yet to be hired, certain key details regarding program implementation are not finalized, and a public education campaign has not been started. "Governor Lingle is well aware of the tight timeline remaining to implement this massive recycling program, yet delays are ongoing," said Jeff Mikulina, Director of the Sierra Club. "One could reasonable conclude that Governor Lingle is trying to sabotage the bottle law." Under the bottle law, consumers will receive five cents back for returning bottles and cans for recycling. The ten states with bottle bills have documented beverage container litter reduction of 70% to 80%, and recycle over 80% of bottles and cans-more beverage containers than the other 40 states combined. Some 800 million beverage containers are used in Hawai`i annually, but only about 20% are recycled. On average, 75,000 beverage containers are thrown in the trash or littered every hour in Hawai`i. To manage the logistics of the bottle law, such as labeling, material flows, and management, six additional Department of Health staff were slated to be hired. As of September 22nd, the approval to hire the new positions was still pending authorization from the Governor. Specifics regarding the setting up of redemption centers by recyclers, the process for labeling unlabeled containers, and contracting staff with the counties were still unsettled. The Sierra Club is especially concerned over the total lack of a plan for public outreach and education. No communications firm has been retained to handle the considerable challenge of easing the public into the redemption system. Under the Lingle Administration, all such communications plans must go through the Governor's office. "The bottle law will be a behavior adjustment for the majority of individuals in Hawai`i. Recycling will be something new," said Mikulina. "To ensure a smooth transition, consumers will need to be shown how the program works, what to expect, and what the benefits are." An outreach program would also seek to educate other stakeholder groups affected by the law, such as distributors, recyclers, and retailers. "If a significant outreach campaign is not started soon, consumers will be confused," said Mikulina. "If details of the redemption process are unclear-or worse, if redemption centers cannot be located-consumers will become angry." Angry residents, the Sierra Club fears, will result in backlash against the bottle law-a law that Governor Lingle has made clear she does not support. But a well-planned education campaign would minimize the amount of confusion and encourage participation. Once the program is fully implemented and residents adjust to recycling and begin to experience its benefits, popularity is likely to increase. A February, 2004 survey of New York residents found that 84% support their 22-year old bottle law. "By not aggressively implementing Hawaii's new bottle law, Governor Lingle is putting private industry above the public interest," lamented Mikulina. "Residents of Hawai`i deserve a cleaner, safer environment. And we need to reduce the amount of garbage we landfill." According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, beverage containers covered under Hawaii's bottle bill comprise 4.4% of the total waste stream, on average. "Governor Lingle is trying to put the brakes on the single most effective tool we have to reduce litter and increase recycling," said Mikulina. "The Governor cannot simply pick and choose which laws she wishes to implement." # # #
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