5 CENTS PER CONTAINER
Deposit bill would encourage recycling
Unlike Nova Scotians (Jan TenBruggencate, Dec. 25), Hawai'i people are most likely to throw away their bottles after finishing the drink. Those bottles end up clogging our landfill or being incinerated, neither of which has to happen.
A bill being introduced this legislative session hopes to change that. It is backed by recyclers, the City and County of Honolulu, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups. This recycling deposit bill, if passed, would greatly increase the amount of material recycled in the state.
The bill is similar to Oregon's, where the customer pays a 5-cent deposit on each beverage container when purchased, both glass and plastic. The deposit is returned by the store when the empties are returned. A percentage of the uncollected deposits goes to the store and recycling centers to help them administer the program.
In 1998, about 2 percent of plastic bottles, 62
percent of aluminum cans and 43 percent of glass containers were
recycled on O'ahu. Through a deposit program, we have the opportunity
to lessen the burden on our landfills, reduce litter from bottles
and cans, and create new local
jobs and markets with recycled materials. Please support the bottle
bill this year.
Randy Ching
Sierra Club, O'ahu Group
