Integrated Resources & Solid Waste Management Plan Update - Dec 2009

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3.0 SOURCE REDUCTION Bill 326, which would ban plastic bags at the point of retail purchase, however, the legislation was not ultimately adopted by the Council. 3.3.2 Hawaii County Staffing Levels Successful delivery of local government waste reduction programs requires devoting an appropriate amount of resources including staffing. Hawai'i County has demonstrated its commitment to waste reduction by assigning the following staff to County waste reduction and recycling programs: • One full -time recycling coordinator • Two full -time equivalent (FTE) recycling specialists for the HI -5 recycling program • Two FTE recycling specialists • One part -time student helper In addition, using funds provided by the County of Hawai'i, Recycle Hawai'i employs three full -time education specialists, who are responsible for educating the public about waste reduction and recycling programs on the north, west and east portions of the island, respectively. Recycle Hawaii also has other personnel that conduct educational programs at KRRC and other various workshops & community events. 1 ! As described above, a number of source reduction activities have been recently conducted in the County of Hawai'i, including programs and initiatives by both the County as well as other organizations. In spite of these efforts, the County recycling rate is just under 30 percent, which is well below its 2008 target of 50 percent. There is more that could be done by the County and waste generators to promote changed behaviors that would ultimately reduce the quantity of materials entering the waste stream. The need to implement additional programs and policies is further established by the County's commitment to zero waste. •� • MEMP • Pursuant to HRS 342G -26, an overview of various measures that could be implemented to increase source reduction is provided below. These options were developed based on successful initiatives implemented in other jurisdictions that may be applicable and appropriate for Hawai'i County. Note that the options focus on waste reduction and reuse; education, recycling, and composting programs are discussed in other sections of the IRSWMP update. 3.5.1 County Source Reduction Practices The County of Hawai'i has an opportunity to serve as a model for the entire island and demonstrate their commitment to the zero waste approach by implementing comprehensive source reduction policies for all County operations. The County could make a more pronounced commitment to environmentally preferable products. This effort could include an evaluation of current practices at all County offices and buildings, and identification of December 2009 3 -7