Litter piles up in out-of-way places because of ‘lazy’ people Visitors who come to Kaua’i have paid thousands of dollars to take in a Hawaiian paradise they prefer free of litter. On the surface, the picture is a reality, because
Litter piles up in out-of-way places because of ‘lazy’ people
Visitors who come to Kaua’i have paid thousands of dollars to take in a Hawaiian paradise they prefer free of litter.
On the surface, the picture is a reality, because miles of state highways and county roads are routinely swept clean by government workers and thousands of volunteers who have participated in state and county litter programs over the last five years.
Yet, just beyond the edge of the roads on some parts of the island, visitors and residents would be aghast at the sight of a part of Kaua’i that is rarely seen: Hillsides, valleys and ravines covered with trash and abandoned autos, refrigerators and stoves.
The garbage is not easily seen because it is hidden under sugar cane or jungle growth. But it takes away from the natural beauty of Kaua’i and increases the potential for the contamination of underground water sources.
The litter has been left behind by “people who are just lazy,” said Eddie Sarita, who heads Kaua’i County’s Ho’olokahi program.
The program’s volunteers clean up county parks and beaches and have participated in government-supported projects that have enhanced communities and created civic pride.
In the case of large items like cannibalized and rusting autos and appliances, people search out remote areas for dumping because they don’t want to pay the fees to properly dispose of them, Sarita said.
He knows the problem of debris-dumping firsthand. A month ago, someone left a vehicle on private property across from his home in Hanama’ulu.
“It is still there, and they even left the tow rope,” Sarita said.
Blatant dumping occurs in areas around the old Hanama’ulu Cemetery by Kalepa Village, a county housing project, mountainside of Kuhio Highway, Sarita said. Because of its remoteness, the area has been a popular dumping site for years.
County officials had the area cleaned, but to their frustration, the area became strewn with debris again in a short time, said Sarita, a longtime resident of Hanama’ulu, community leader and former member of the County Council.
More than likely, people found it more convenient to dump their goods there than at the county’s transfer station by Lihu’e Airport, Sarita said.
“So, we have things like refrigerators dumped off from the back of trucks, again and again,” he said. “It is intentional and it is bad.”
Government can’t do much to help alleviate dumping on private property. Hillsides or private lots that are littered with bottles, cans and boxes are cleaned at the expense of the property owners. And if the cost for the removal is too high, the trash remains part of the scenery, probably until it decomposes, posing threats to the environment, Sarita said.
Wrappers and drinks from fast-food restaurants left in the parking lot of Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall, which Sarita manages, is symptomatic of a problem that exists throughout Kaua’i and in any community in the United States, he lamented.
“Where there are humans, there will be, unfortunately, litter,” Sarita said.
The best tools that can be used against littering are public education and stricter enforcement of litter laws, he said.
In Hawai’i, people cited for littering on state highways may face fines ranging from $25 to $500 per offense and can be ordered by the health department to pick up litter, according to Steve Kyono, who heads the state Department of Transportation’s Highways Division.
If a vehicle passenger throws out litter, the driver is liable and subject to fines, Kyono said.
Litter could become a much bigger problem on Kaua’i if not for the volunteer-supported litter programs sponsored by the DOT and the county, Sarita said. Through the DOT’s Adopt-a-Highway program, volunteers, including hotel employees and members of community organizations, pick up litter from state roads, usually those near urban areas around Lihu’e, Kapa’a and Po’ipu.
Through another state program, volunteers clean up state beaches, parks and roads.
Over the last five years, volunteers from the Ho’olokahi program have also helped keep county roads, beaches and park clear of litter.
“Without their help, there would be certainly a lot of trash,” Sarita said.
In spite of the cleanup campaign, people still litter, and that is a source of continuing frustration for many volunteers, Sarita said.
“All the dumping only discourages the genuine and dedicated volunteers from coming out to help,” he said. “I have to work even harder to convince them to come out. It is harder to sell them the idea of going out and keeping Kaua’i litter free.”
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
