August 6, 2007
Reverse vending canned on Kaua‘i
by Nathan Eagle
With Kaua‘i’s reverse vending machines headed off island after a failed two-year stint in Lihu‘e, many local recyclers’ simplest source to redeem cans and bottles for cash is no longer available.
Garden Isle Disposal — the only company here to utilize the technology — has reached an agreement with Reynolds Recycling and Maui Disposal to ship its reverse vending machines to Maui for their mobile program, Kaua‘i County Recycling Specialist Diane Rosenkranz said.
Rosenkranz, who also manages the state’s Deposit Beverage Container program on Kaua‘i, said on July 24, Garden Isle Disposal stopped using the machines at its facility, located at 2666 Niumalu Road.
Previously, recyclers could feed their cans and bottles into reverse vending machines installed near the Garden Isle Disposal office a short distance up the road from the main operation.
Now, recyclers must wait for an employee at the facility to weigh or hand count the eligible “Hi-5” containers and provide a receipt to be exchanged up at the office for cash.
With 900 million beverage containers sold annually in Hawai‘i, according to the state Health Department, the Deposit Beverage Container program was put into effect Jan. 1, 2005, to encourage recycling.
State Rep. Mina Morita, D-District 14 (Kaua‘i), has tried for several years to push bills through the Legislature that would improve convenience for residents to redeem their eligible recyclables, but retailers have put up a fight, she said.
“The community has to rise up and demand the services from conveniece stores and places like Costco, Wal-Mart and Safeway. It has to be the desire of everyone to recycle and the county has to improve convenience,” she said. “It boils down to producer responsibility. The food manufacturing industry creates all this waste and doesn’t want to deal with the aftermath.”
A bill Morita has worked on for the past four years would require any outlet more than 75,000 square feet that sells “Hi-5” products to have a redemption center.
“I understand the arguments from smaller retail stores where space and rights over what can be placed in front of the store are an issue,” she said.
A law passed two years ago made money available that could improve recycling convenience for consumers.
“The state Solid Waste office, which is handling finances, made available grants for reverse vending machines for retailers and money for counties to boost up redemption centers,” Morita said. “No one has taken advantage of it.”
On other islands, such as O‘ahu, reverse vending machines are installed in high traffic areas. With increasing frequency, businesses are using the machines as marketing tools, the representative said.
For instance, some convenience stores on Maui and O‘ahu have placed reverse vending machines out front for consumers to redeem their recyclables. The idea, Morita said, is residents will then take the refund voucher from their recycled cans and spend that money at the store.
Although reverse vending machines have left Kaua‘i, consumers can still redeem their deposit beverage containers at five locations around the island.
For more information, call the County Recycling Office at 241-5112 or visit www.kauai.gov.
Redemption centers
Although reverse vending machines are no longer available, residents can still redeem their eligible containers. To receive a refund for Hi-5 beverage containers, visit any of the bottle redemption centers on the island:
- Hanalei — located at the Hanalei Community Center, open Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Kapahi — located behind the Menehune Food Mart on Kawaihau Road, Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Kekaha — located at the Kekaha Landfill, Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Lawa‘i — located next to the Lawa‘i Post Office, Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Lihu‘e — located at Garden Isle Disposal on Niumalu Road, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 pm, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon.
- Nawiliwili — located near the old Hale Kaua‘i building, Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All redemption sites except for Hanalei and Kekaha are closed for lunch between noon and 1 p.m. Those visiting the centers are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes before lunch and closing.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.
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