Halt of Maui plastic
recycling riles some

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By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com

WAILUKU >> Some businesses are upset that Maui County has decided to halt subsidizing the recycling of commercial and private curbside plastic.

"I am greatly disturbed and frustrated by the lack of attention and commitment that the county gives the recycling effort," said Shaun Stenshol, general manager of Maui Recycling Service, Inc.

Stenshol said his company had to dump about 400 pounds of commercial plastic at the landfill recently because there was no place to deliver it for recycling on Maui.

Stenshol said the company, one of the largest recycling haulers on Maui, is looking at storing the plastic until a solution is found.

Commercial plastic totals about 70 tons a year on Maui -- about the same tonnage as residential plastic, according to county estimates.

The county ended an annual contract of $80,000 to $90,000 with Aloha Plastic Recycling, Inc. to recycle commercial and residential plastic.

The county signed a new contact with Maui Disposal Co. Inc. to pick up the residential plastic along with other recyclables in county bins for $30,000.

The new contract does not require Maui Disposal to pick up the commercial plastic.

Public Works director David Goode said the county is looking at the prospect of inviting businesses to bid on recycling commercial plastic.