WasteLine May 2004

"Don't Dump on Hawai‘i - Put Opala in its Place"

Undoubtedly, you've driven or walked by one (or more) of the following ire-inducing crime scenes: a browning pile of yard clippings dumped in a drainage ditch; five or six car batteries scattered around a stop sign and a few tires thrown into the nearby elephant grass; bags and bags of household garbage discarded on the shoulder of a coastal highway; slabs of concrete and asphalt left blocking the entrance to your favorite hiking trail. The list goes on and on. And, judging by the increased volume of public outcry against illegal dumping, Oahu residents have had enough.

The month of April marked a major milestone in the City's commitment to participate in the battle against illegal dumping. "Don't Dump on Hawai‘i - Put Opala in its Place" is the theme for the City's radio, television, and print public awareness campaign. Last month, the City's Department of Environmental Services also launched its Environmental Concern Line. Oahu residents can now call a single phone number -- 768-3300 -- to report any illegal dump sites. You also have the option of reporting a site online. You may remain anonymous if you wish. By mid-May, a total of 134 illegal dump sites had been reported. Of those, 105 have already been cleaned up by various City and State agencies, and the remaining 29 will be attended to as soon as possible.

"Don't Dump on Hawaii - Put Opala in its Place" is a resounding success in more ways than one. First, we believe Oahu residents have embraced the call to action to stop all forms of illegal dumping. Calls and emails are coming in daily. Those who witnessed the act of illegal dumping have taken the extra steps to call 911 and provide identifying information. Second, the level of cooperation exhibited during the campaign -- among the "feds" (Environmental Protection Agency), the State Department of Health, and the City -- is unparalleled. Third, "Don't Dump on Hawai‘i - Put Opala in its Place" is only the beginning -- albeit a good beginning -- of an ongoing process.

In order for all of us to (literally) gain ground in the battle against illegal dumping, the public's perception of the problem must evolve. Communities must adopt a zero-tolerance attitude toward illegal dumping and the criminals who trash their sidewalks and roadsides, beaches and fields. Those who dump illegally -- no matter what the "reason" is -- must realize that they will eventually be caught and prosecuted.

Get Ready for the Bottle Bill! -- What You Need to Know

We're all accustomed to seeing codes such as "CA CASH REFUND" stamped onto the labels of glass beverage containers. But you may not have known that, as soon as November, you will also see "HI 5¢" stamped onto glass and plastic bottles and aluminum cans. (In fact, some savvy consumers have already spotted the new deposit code on bottled beverages sold in local supermarkets.)

Certain components of Hawai‘i's beverage container deposit law, passed by the state Legislature in 2002, will be implemented earlier than the original start date of January 1, 2005 -- thanks to passage of SB1611 CD1, which makes clarifying amendments to the "bottle bill" law. Specifically, in November and December, local food retailers will begin stocking their shelves with deposit containers (and charging shoppers for the deposit) as they sell the last of their non-deposit containers. This will allow vendors ample time to get ready for January 1, 2005, the date when they will be required by law to stock only deposit beverage containers.

Hawaii residents must wait until January 1, 2005, to redeem their bottles and cans for the nickel deposit. You can expect to see deposit "redemption centers" in operation by October, however, accepting non-deposit containers to put their systems through a dry run. As the program grows, and participation and redemption patterns emerge, individual stores may begin to offer redemption service and host reverse vending machines.

There is no doubt that the "bottle bill" will take some time to adjust to -- on behalf of drinkers and retailers alike. But, in time, once we see fewer and fewer bottles and cans littering our roadways and beaches, we'll wonder why we didn't pass the law years ago.

Tour de Trash 2004: A Series of Monthly Tours

Our island's waste flows from our homes and businesses through a complex network of pipes and collection trucks ending at waste processing and recycling facilities. Your waste, both garbage and sewage, solid and liquid, is processed, reprocessed, recycled, reutilized, composted and incinerated -- totaling 1.6 million tons of garbage and 43 trillion gallons of sewage annually.

Get ready to join us on Tour de Trash for an up-close look at the recycling and waste processing technology in operation on O‘ahu and behind-the-scenes tours of island businesses that have instituted the most successful recycling programs.

Beginning in July, tours will be offered each month -- some half-day, some full-day (dates and times to be announced soon). Tour sites include: H-POWER, Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill, Hawaii Metal Recycling, Island Recycling, Honolulu Recover Systems, Hawaiian Earth Products, Unitek Solvent Services, Pacific Biodiesel, Grace Pacific, Intech, Island Demo, AES, Baseyard Hawaii, Honolulu Zoo, Young Laundry & Dry Cleaning, Hard Rock Cafe, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Sheraton Waikiki, Kahala Mandarin Oriental, Gytotaku Restaurant, Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Don't miss out! Tour schedule to be emailed early next month. If you're interested in attending, call or register online as soon as the tour schedule is announced, as space is limited on the popular Tours.