After sitting empty for two years, the Kaua‘i Resource Center in Lihu‘e is open and ready for recyclables. “So far so good,” Allison Fraley, solid waste program development coordinator of Kaua‘i county, said. “I’ve heard it’s a little slow and
After sitting empty for two years, the Kaua‘i Resource Center in Lihu‘e is open and ready for recyclables.
“So far so good,” Allison Fraley, solid waste program development coordinator of Kaua‘i county, said. “I’ve heard it’s a little slow and picking up as people are just learning that the facility has re-opened.”
The county will need to give the center a couple of months to track the materials coming in, Fraley said.
The resource center features a HI-5 deposit redemption center and free recycling drop off for businesses and residents. Cardboard, newspaper, mixed paper, glass, plastic No. 1 and No. 2, and aluminum cans are accepted at the resource center.
After operating for almost four years, Island Recycling, a Honolulu-based company, was evicted from the resource center in January 2006 by Kaua‘i county officials. The reason for the eviction stemmed from a breach of contract by Island Recycling for using county property and facilities for private contract use.
Island Recycling claimed they did nothing wrong.
The resource center had since been closed until a new contract would be signed to operate the facility.
Last spring, Garden Isle Disposal signed a contract with the county to operate the resource center for the next five years, according to its contract. Garden Isle has a solid waste permit for the site through the Department of Health.
But Gordon LaBedz, chairperson of Zero Waste Kaua‘i, said Kaua‘i is still in the Dark Ages when it comes to waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
“The Resource Center means very little in terms of where we need to be,” LaBedz said. “We need green waste facilities, a central center to handle recyclable materials and a place to recycle difficult and toxic things like computers and cell phones. We are nowhere with that.”
LaBedz added that the resource center will make things easier for those who have the time to commit to recycling.
“It will have very little impact on our landfill, our planet’s forests, mines and oil fields,” he said. “The county has to get off square one and start a mainland-style recycling program.”
Fraley said the county encourages recycling by coordinating, managing and promoting a variety of recycling programs.
“(The) programs are promoted through radio ads, news ads, our Web site, our Recycling Guide, at community events and through our County recycling line which is listed in all phone books,” Fraley said.
Fraley added that there are eight community drop bins throughout the island.
The Kaua‘i Resource Center is located at 3460 Ahukini Road in Lihu‘e. The center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. and is closed for lunch from 11-11:45 a.m.
For more information on recycling services, call Garden Isle Disposal at 245-2372.
• Rachel Gehrlein, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or rgehrlein@kauaipubco.com.
