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Frequently Asked Questions about Refuse and RecyclingI put my rubbish out at the proper time, but it wasn't collected. What do I do now? The people across the street never take in their rubbish container. Is that allowed? Why is the convenience center gate sometimes closed during the day? What do I do with paint, motor oil, car batteries, and other household hazardous wastes? I'm on the automated system. What shall I do with my yard waste? My family generates more rubbish than will fit in the automated cart. Can I get another? What if my automated cart has been damaged or stolen? Where can I take household recyclables? How does the new curbside green waste bin system work? What and when is the green waste collection schedule in my neighborhood? How do I recycle my Christmas tree? Where are the HI5 redemption centers located? Are recycling containers available for our program? Where can we get assistance to coordinate a recycling fundraiser? Why did the bulky collection crew pick up some of my items and leave others behind? When will the regular monthly bulky pickup service be provided in our area? Is it possible to visit H-POWER and other recycling facilities on the island? Where can I recycle my old computer? Why can't we recycle more types of plastics or paper? Q: A neighbor puts the trash out days before it is collected and makes our block look terrible. When can it be put out? Refuse, whether it is household trash, bulky items such as appliances and furniture, or yard waste, should be set out at the curb no earlier than evening before the scheduled collection day. Report infractions to the nearest collection yard. Q: I put my rubbish out at the proper time, but it wasn't collected. What do I do now? Check the rubbish container for our tag. It may have been blocked by a parked car, too bulky or heavy, or uncollectible for some other reason; the tag will explain why it wasn't collected. Improperly prepared or inaccessible refuse will be picked up on your next collection day, when the reason for non-collection has been corrected. If there is no tag, leave the rubbish at the curb and report it to the nearest collection yard. Q: The people across the street never take in their rubbish container. Is that allowed? Rubbish containers, including automated collection carts, must be returned to the resident's property after they have been emptied. Only specifically authorized elderly or disabled automated collection customers may permanently store their carts in the public right-of-way. Report infractions to the nearest collection yard. Q: I'm cleaning out the garage and have a lot of refuse to get rid of right away. Where can I dispose of it? City landfills, transfer stations, and convenience centers will accept, for free, rubbish delivered by residents. The limitations are: two loads per customer per day; passenger cars and vans or pickup trucks only (no trailers, flatbeds, dump trucks, or commercial vans). You may also be asked to segregate certain materials at the disposal site for recycling. Click here for disposal site listings. Q: Why is the convenience center gate sometimes closed during the day? Convenience centers are very popular, and the amount of material they handle continues to increase. In addition, different materials must be placed in separate bins -- combustible household trash is burned for energy at H-POWER; green waste is delivered to mulching/composting sites; metals are sold to a metals recycler; appliances are hauled to a recycling company for freon removal and recycling; and noncombustible, mixed loads are taken to the landfill. Bins are constantly being removed throughout the day to be emptied and replaced, but there may be short periods when the bins for one or more types of material are full, and the gate must by closed until empty bins are returned. Q: What do I do with paint, motor oil, car batteries, and other household hazardous wastes? Paint and motor oil must be completely dried with absorbent material to prevent spills before being placed in your rubbish for regular collection. Car batteries should be turned in where you bought the new one; also, most battery dealers will accept batteries for recycling, even if you didn't buy a new one from them. Other household hazardous wastes may require special handling -- call our household hazardous waste phone line at 768-3201 and tell us what and how much you have. Q: I'm on the automated system. What shall I do with my yard waste? If there is room in the cart, you can dispose of green waste with your rubbish. However, the City encourages you to recycle green waste and utilize the twice-per-month curbside green waste pickup service. For more information about this service and the schedules for your neighborhood, go to Greencycling. Q: My family generates more rubbish than will fit in the automated cart. Can I get another? Our supervisors can suggest ways to reduce your rubbish volume (for example, buying in bulk, compacting, recycling, and composting). They can also explain the City's monitoring procedure for determining whether your refuse volume consistently exceeds the capacity of the cart. If it does, another cart will be issued to you. Click here for collection yard phone numbers. Q: What if my automated cart has been damaged or stolen? Damaged carts should be reported to the nearest collection yard. Our supervisors can often repair broken wheels or lid hinges; otherwise, the cart will be replaced. Report a stolen cart first to the Honolulu Police Department. When you have the police report number, call the nearest collection yard for a replacement cart. Q: Where can I take household recyclables? Community recycling bins are located around the island, mostly at schools with a few shopping center sites. Currently, there are more than 75 locations with more sites to be added next year. The City pays for leasing and hauling the bins, and the schools monitor bin usage and receive revenues from the sale of the recyclables. For more information, go to Community Recycling Centers. Go to HI5 Redemption Centers for islandwide locations to redeem deposits on beverage containers. Q: Can I refill my cart with excess rubbish and push it across the street to have it emptied a second time when the refuse truck returns to service neighbors on the other side? Strictly speaking, a driver is required to empty a cart only once each collection day. Second pickups could drastically lengthen a driver's work day when refuse volume is large, as it is during the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's holidays and during the middle of summer. It is therefore left to a driver's discretion whether to accommodate second pickups, and in the spirit of aloha, many will. If the driver servicing your route is not so inclined, you must hold the excess until the next collection day. There are also recycling and disposal alternatives to be considered (see our "What Goes Where" checklist) to reduce the amount of excess. And if your household frequently generates excess rubbish, you may qualify for another cart (see question 8 above). Q: What and when is the green waste collection schedule in my neighborhood? Yard
waste, also known as green waste, is collected twice a month
in all areas with automated trash pickup. For your
pickup schedule, you can call your neighborhood collection
yard or click
for collection schedule maps. Green waste is delivered to local composting facilities and becomes mulch and compost products sold in local garden shops under the brand name "Menehune Magic." Free mulch is available at sites around the island. For more information visit www.opala.org or call 768-3200. Q: How does the new curbside green waste bin system work? In March 2006, the City began to automate the green waste collection system starting in the communities with blue bins. As the City expands the automated green waste pickup around the island to additional neighborhoods, households will receive green bins. An automated bin system means no more bundling or bagging. Everything can be placed directly into the bin, which can be wheeled around your property as you do your yard work.
Q: How do I recycle my Christmas tree? First, consider artificial or live potted trees that won't require disposal or recycling. (In 2003, The New York Times reported that 70 percent of the Christmas trees in American households were fake.) If you go with a cut tree, please recycle. Island residents can choose curbside collection or drop-off at City refuse convenience centers. For more information, go to Greencycling. Condos and commercial buildings can deliver large loads of trees directly to composting facilities - there will be no charge for Christmas trees, courtesy of the City. And consider recycling your yard waste year-round. Each year 50% of all the Christmas trees or approximately 300 tons are recycled. If we recycled just 50% of our household yard waste, we could divert 50,000 tons from disposal. Q: Where are the HI5 redemption centers located? Updated locations and hours of operation are posted on the City's website, go to HI5 Redemption Centers, and the State's website, www.hi5deposit.com. New locations are added regularly. The State is coordinating a grant program to support new redemption centers and improved operations. The City is working with the State to help establish new redemption centers, particularly in the underserved area between Kahala and Pearl City, by utilizing City properties. The City is currently evaluating potential sites. Q: Are recycling containers available for our program? The City is offering 96-gallon wheeled recycling carts to schools, non-profit organizations and condominium properties to support the collection of recyclable materials. Beginning in early 2007, the City will also offer 40-cubic yard recycling fundraiser bins. For guidelines and request forms go to Recycling Fundraiser Resources or call 768-3200. Also, the City is offering the large white community recycling bins to schools interested in placing them on their campus. Call 768-3200. Q: Where can we get assistance to coordinate a recycling fundraiser? The new HI5 beverage container deposit program provides opportunities for a school or non-profit organization to raise significant funds through collection drives. The City can provide collection containers, banners and lists of recycling companies and collectors who are interested in working with you. Call 768-3200 or to Recycling Fundraisers. The State can provide contact information as well, and is also offering an Educator’s Guide to Recycling – online at www.hi5deposit.com or call 586-4226. Q: Why did the bulky collection crew pick up some of my items and leave others behind? Some items go to the landfill while others are recycled. Different trucks collect different types of materials. The "white goods" flatbed truck will pick up appliances and metal items separately so they can be delivered to the metal recycling facility. Freon must be removed from refrigerators and air conditioners before the metal is recycled. Other types of items, including old furniture, carpet and mattresses are taken to the landfill in a rear-loading packer truck. If you think any of these items are reusable, check the list of reuse organizations posted on www.opala.org before you place them at the curb for disposal. Q: When will the regular monthly bulky pickup service be provided in our area? As of July 2006 all areas of the island have regular,
no-call, monthly pickup service. Honolulu sectors from Salt
Lake to Hawaii
Kai started monthly pickup in 2000. The Leeward Coast from
Makaha to Honokai
Hale began in March 2005. The North Shore and Windward communities
from Kahuku to Kaaawa started September 2006. The West Oahu
communities, including Pearl City, Aiea, Waipahu, Halawa to Makakilo
and Kapolei
started in March 2006. Central Oahu, including Mililani and
Wahiawa began in May, and last but not least, the Windward communities
from Kaneohe to Waimanalo transitioned to the new monthly pickup
system in July 2006. For instructions for setout and collection
schedules, go to Bulky Item Collection or call 768-3300 for
recorded
information. The City coordinates public tours of Oahu's waste
processing and recycling facilities. Q: I'm working on a recycling research project for school. Where can I find information and get assistance? You are already here. Our website contains a wealth of information on recycling and waste composition data, a "History of Garbage in Paradise", master planning studies and reports, descriptions of recycling programs and operations, photos, graphics, video clips, music and an archive of local and national news stories on waste and recycling. Find project ideas and teaching tools in the "Learning Center". Start on the home page and use the navigation buttons to peruse the various pages. City recycling staff are also available to answer questions and help you focus your topic. Call 768-3200. Q: Where can I recycle my old computer? If your computer is functional and not too old, you may be able to donate it to the Hawaii Open Source Education Foundation (HOSEF) at 689-6518. If the computer is non-functional or a pre-Pentium I model, it may be recycled. See computer recycling for more information. The City has discontinued its biannual collection event at CompUSA. We are working on plans to replace it with a more convenient year-round collection for residents, possibly at City Convenience Centers or other community sites. Businesses with large volumes of computers should work directly with donation organizations and recycling companies. Q: Why can't we recycle more types of plastics or paper? The availability of markets determines the types of materials that can be recycled cost-efficiently. As markets expand, so can the items targeted for the recycling bin. Currently, the items accepted for household recycling on Oahu are comparable to most cities in the country – aluminum, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, newspaper, corrugated cardboard and green waste. Some cities may include lower grades of paper and plastic such as magazines, cereal boxes and plastic tubs. This makes sense in areas that are completely reliant on landfills for disposal and are located closer to recycling mills. For Oahu, unless recycling market conditions change, it makes better economic and environmental sense to process lower grades of combustible recyclables at the H-POWER waste-to-energy facility. |
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