2019-11-27 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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• It is unknown whether Business Services will be willing to take other recyclables. Their costs and what they are recycling has been reduced. • DEM is looking at putting together another contract proposal and bid package. • Yes, one reason Business Services stopped collecting plastics is because of contamination. • Yes, washing stations would be nice. However, it would require more money, manpower, and policing of what goes into the bins, and there are also permit conditions. The primary objective is to take care of the municipal solid waste at the transfer stations, which takes priority over recycling. • Using volunteers may not be feasible because union concurrence would be required. The department is not a free agent, and all of DEM’s facilities require DOH permits, which also have constraints. • Half of the Solid Waste Division’s budget is subsidized by the General Fund, so reductions can have significant impacts on operations. • He can check on not having a commercial recycling operation pay a fee to dispose of what cannot be recycled into the landfill, as they are actually removing part of the waste stream. Chair Bennett said he wanted to continue discussion on this at the next meeting, as it appeared to be in the public’s best interest to offer some type of fee deferral or subsidy to encourage more effective recycling. If something is found to be in the public interest, the County Council might provide exemptions. Vice Chair Olson said a disposal fee should be gotten at the point of purchase and not come from property tax. Two things would be gained by this: the public would have a broader recognition of what it actually costs at the point of purchase and at the back end, and it would be taken out of the property tax roll. There is no correlation between property ownership and the waste stream. Commissioners Pequeño and Cardwell agreed, saying more focus on recycling education and awareness is needed. People need to understand there is a price to pay in purchasing something that is plastic and not recyclable, and these items should not be shipped off to other countries but dealt with ourselves. Vice Chair Olson said Pfizer has come up with a method to reprocess #1 plastic. A plant has been built and they are putting out bids for more. Commissioner Gaffney suggested that commissioners who have an interest in this issue do their homework, make lists of ideas and options, and return to the next meeting with their lists to discuss. A finalized list of their ideas could be offered to DEM and the County Council. Commissioner Gaffney pointed out the reality that this island and state are not big enough to make an impact. Changes need to happen on a national basis to work economically. It would be good to get whichever councilmember is on the National Association of Counties to move this issue onto the agenda nationally, as Hawaiʻi is too small to get manufacturers to make changes. 4