[ OUR OPINION ]

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More sites needed to
benefit most from
recycling law

THE ISSUE The state has opened centers where consumers can return beverage containers and get back deposits.

HAWAII consumers will have to endure some birth pains as the state's new container recycling law kicks in. The worthwhile effort to curb litter and reduce landfill loads will be a chore for people returning beverage containers until more redemption sites are set up.

This is something officials should be tending to even though the law delays until July 1 the state's authority to designate redemption centers where it chooses in order to assure there is one within a 2-mile radius in urban areas.

Retailers who have been reluctant to set up collections systems may be banking on a proposal by House Republicans to amend the law and relieve them of taking some responsibility for the wastes produced by the products they sell. Their disinclination has created, in part, an inconvenience for the same beverage-consuming customers they pursue.

State-approved centers opened this week to crowds of people wanting to trade in beverage containers they had stored since November when the 6-cent fee was phased in. Five cents is refunded when consumers turn in an empty container for recycling; the extra penny is used to fund the program.

The state was slow in setting up the centers and educating the public about the law and though officials have stepped up efforts, confusion still remains. That will diminish as people get used to the system, but more needs to be done to increase the number of places where consumers can get back their deposits.

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STAR-BULLETIN Calvin Akamu feeds his cans into a reverse vending machine at the Reynolds Recycling Center in Halawa Valley.

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At present, there are fewer than two dozen recycling sites on Oahu, each with varying hours of operation. Some open only in the afternoon or morning, others close at lunch time and only three or so run on Sunday.

To get the most benefits from the law, returning containers must be made convenient. Stores and supermarkets have been averse to reclaiming containers, contending that space and costs are prohibitive.

However, reverse vending machines, such as those operated by Rolloffs Hawaii, could lessen their concerns. Consumers simply push plastic, glass or cans into designated machines that count the containers and issue a receipt.

Beverage industry research has shown that reverse vending equipment reduces labor costs if retailers choose to operate them themselves, but many stores contract recycling companies to place and service machines on site, eliminating labor expenses completely.

Studies also show that stores with reverse vending gain an advantage since shoppers are inclined to spend fee returns at the same location.

Retailers and beverage producers haven't had to contribute much to the state's recycling effort. Both have passed on costs, primarily paperwork and printing the deposit symbol on container labels, to the consumer. It behooves them to lend a hand without the state's prodding.