ISLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER LAW

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Bill Brennan, press secretary for Mayor Mufi Hannemann, tried out new vending machines yesterday that take in redeemable cans and bottles. Located at the municipal building downtown and available on weekdays, the setup also dispenses money for returns.

Reverse vending

The city is trying out instant redemption
machines to facilitate more recycling

Vending hours The city's three new reverse vending machines at the makai entrance to the Honolulu Municipal Building will be operating from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, except holidays.

City custodian Gordon Tanoura drinks one or two cans of soda a day, and now has a place nearby to redeem his bottles and cans for on-the-spot recycling money.

The city has installed three reverse vending machines at the makai entrance to the Honolulu Municipal Building as part of a demonstration project with Reynolds Recycling. They hope the machines will encourage recycling under the state's new beverage container law.

"If the city should decide to go forward with it in terms of having it available at more sites on a more permanent basis, we have to put it out to bid," Mayor Mufi Hannemann said. "We have, as you know, many other potential sites that (are) under the city's kuleana that we could make available."

The partnership is the first in the state. Users will be able to use an on-site automated cash machine called "Instadeem" to instantly redeem receipts produced by the vending machines for the 5-cent beverage container deposit refund.

Bruce Iverson, Reynolds Recycling market development manager, said the "Instadeem" machine is the first outside New York and only the ninth one in operation.

Iverson said plans are under way to install a 10th one along with reverse vending machines at the state Capitol.

"This kind of automation allows us to bring more convenience to all the residents on the island for redeeming their deposits," said Suzanne Jones, the city's recycling coordinator. "The more convenient, the higher the recycle rates are going to be."

Jones said there's no set time for the pilot project. "We really wanted to take a look at how things work, work out any kinks, make sure the machines are operating smoothly," she said.

The City Council has instructed the administration to make an effort to expand recycling programs, and Hannemann said the demonstration project is part of the administration's overall recycling plan that also includes curbside recycling.

Hannemann said the plans to start curbside recycling again are still on hold pending the outcome of challenges filed in the awarding of a city contract to process recyclable items collected from island homes.

Hannemann said he hopes that city workers as well as the public will use the new machine.