QUESTION: Recently I went to recycle water bottles and cans at the Haleiwa recycling station. I was told that water bottles without any label would be accepted but not credited. Since when did this ruling take effect?

ANSWER: Since the beginning of the state's Beverage Container Deposit Program in 2005.

Under Section 342G of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, each deposit beverage container sold in Hawaii must “;clearly indicate the refund value of the container”; as well as display the word “;Hawaii”; or “;HI.”;

Certified redemption centers have to accept all types of empty deposit beverage containers, but only pay the full refund value for containers “;that bear a valid Hawaii refund value.”;

They also are required to verify that all containers to be redeemed do bear a valid Hawaii refund value.

Redemption centers not only have the right to refuse to pay refunds for containers that don't “;properly indicate a refund value,”; they can refuse payment for any deposit beverage container that contains a free-flowing liquid, a “;significant amount of foreign material”; or appears to have been previously processed.

It can be difficult for operators of certified redemption centers to accurately determine whether a bottle is a deposit container just by looking at a labelless bottle, said Jennifer Tosaki, coordinator with the state Department of Health's Office of Solid Waste Management.

“;Some excluded beverages come in bottles that look exactly like deposit containers,”; she said.

As an example, she said, “;Dietary supplement beverages (energy drinks) are excluded under the law, yet many of them are packaged in bottles that look similar to other included beverages. Without the label, an operator may not be able to tell the difference.”;

Meanwhile, if you attempt to put a container in a reverse vending machine, the machine will reject it if there is no bar code to read.

QUESTION: I have enjoyed growing papayas and have had pretty good success, but one problem I have had is some of the trees have small fruit just 2 inches long. I have fertilized regularly and there is plenty of fruit, but they just don't develop. Can you suggest something for the small fruit? I live in Ewa Beach on the ocean. Is that a problem?

ANSWER: We received a number of other questions after we ran a column about papayas last week (see hsblinks.com/219).

We again contacted Kenneth Kamiya, president of the Hawaii Papaya Industry Association, who suggested anyone with questions about the fruit check the association's Web site, http://www.hawaiipapaya.com.

The Web site deals mainly with the industry and about Hawaii papayas, but you can either call, send a letter or fax, or e-mail the association: call 969-1160, fax 969-1781, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or write to Hawaii Papaya Industry Association, 190 Kamehameha Ave., Room 1, P.O. Box 6959, Hilo, HI 96720.

Kamiya also suggested contacting the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources' Master Gardeners program.

Go to www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/site/ExtHG.aspx and click on “;Ask an Expert.”; On Oahu, call Oahu Master Gardeners from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays at 453-6055 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).