Sorting out Hawaii's C & D Waste Problems By Mike Leary For Kamaaina, Hawaii is much more than sand, sun and water. This is our home. And while we live on the most beautiful land in the world, we have a limited amount of it. It is a simple truth: If we don't manage our waste products better, we risk losing our precious natural environment by saturating landfills. Currently, the Construction and Demolition Industry puts a half-million tons of waste material into our landfill system every year. We need to identify and separate our waste materials more effectively. Moreover, we need to find better uses for recyclable waste materials. In-town transfer stations, like Island Demo's on Kilihau Street, are perfect for small contractors. We separate c&d waste materials into recyclable items and haul away waste right on site. For larger contractors and loads, a landfill site that separates into recyclable and unusable waste would be even better. Land space would not be unnecessarily consumed, and reusable products would go back into the consumer market. There are sinks, doors, floorboards, cardboard and other items coming out of construction sites that are taken directly to the landfill. These items still have value, and they can still be used. I know there is a savings. In the past, if I had 10,000 pounds of metal, I'd put it in the truck, drive to Nanakuli and pay $25 a ton to dump it. I would also have to pay the hauling price and the driver's wages. Today, I sort out metal, put it in the truck and drive to Hawaii Metal Recycling Co. where they pay me for the load. I'm probably saving $150,000 a year by sorting metal out of our waste stream. The Construction and Demolition Industry can help by prepping for recycling materials right on the job site. Project waste items like metals can be separated into bins by steel, stainless steel, aluminum and so on. In addition, cardboard, concrete and wood can be placed in separate bins. New building contractors can prevent waste by using better design and building techniques. For example, there is no need to buy a 60-foot beam to fill a 43-foot order. If the rest of the beam isn't going to be used; it's a waste of good material that might be heading for the landfill. The landfill should be the recycling end zone. Before we bury anything, we should either crush it or sort it out. It we don't, we are going to pay higher fees and costs for another landfill. And more of our precious land will be lost. |
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Mike Leary, CEO of Island Demo, cares about the value of Hawaii's aina and its people. Leary serves on the Advisory Board for the Partnership for the Environment, and his Mapunapuna facility demonstrates his belief that even used items have value. His entire complex and some of its employees were once considered discarded objects that no one cared for anymore. |
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 About
the Partnership
Local laws now require businesses to recycle, but how do you set up intelligent recycling systems that will save your company money? The Partnership for the Environment offers resources, guides, technical assistance, a speakers bureau and a growing coalition of business leaders willing to share their expertise to assist other businesses. The Partnership is coordinated by the City & County of Honolulu Recycling Office. For more information and to become a partner, call 527-5335 or go to our new web site at www.opala.org.
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