Recycling Resources on Honolulu, Hawaii

With recycling and reusing becoming a bigger and bigger issue all the time, it is no wonder that the Hawaiian island of Honolulu is working toward an island-wide curbside recycling program. Although this is a new resource for the people of Honolulu, there are plans on when and where the program will expand with the last communities getting the curbside recycling program in May 2010.

For those interested in using the resources provided through the curbside recycling program, there are a few things the people need to understand. First of all, they will have three containers. The gray container is for garbage. The green container is for green waste such as grass and tree clippings. It can also include Christmas trees as long as the ornaments are no longer on the tree. The third container is for mixed recyclables. This includes glass bottles, aluminum cans, newspapers, plastic containers with either the number one or two on them, and corrugated cardboard. Other paper and plastic bottles have to go in the gray garbage container.

Another great feature of the new curbside recycling program is that if your provided containers are not enough for the person or family, they can get more at no added cost to them. Two additional green waste containers and a second gray container can be given as needed. The only catch is that the household must demonstrate a need, and to get an extra gray container, the family must be participating fully in the recycling program.

One thing of interest to residents of Honolulu might be where their green waste and recyclables go after they have put them out on the curb. There are resources on the island which allow for the green waste to be composted locally. Unfortunately, there are not resources which allow for the recyclable materials to be taken care of on Honolulu or even on any of the other islands. Materials are instead sorted and shipped to the mainland or even to Asia where they have the resources to allow for proper recycling of the materials.

Since some communities still have to wait for the resources provided by the curbside recycling pick-up, there might be some who feel they don't need to start recycling yet. That is not true. For those who do not already enjoy the benefits of curbside recycling, there are other locations on Honolulu where the people can show that they care about the environment and that they want to recycle. Over 90 schools on Honolulu have recycling bins on their campuses. Each month the schools get a check for the recycled materials collected from their school. This is a great resource, because it allows for people to recycle while supporting their local schools. Recycling bins can be found on campuses ranging from elementary schools to universities.

Even for those not near a school, there might be a place nearby where they can take their recyclable items. Some stores and non-profit organizations also have these recycling bins on their location. Many of the recycling bins at schools or other locations, though, do require people to sort out the items they bring for recycling as bins are separated into compartments depending upon the materials being recycled.

Richard Barthallo writes about floods and water damage problem. See:
http://www.localrestorations.com/Hawaii