Integrated Resources & Solid Waste Management Plan Update - Dec 2009

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3.0 SOURCE REDUCTION 3.5.2 Business Waste Audits and Reduction Plans The County currently produces the Hawai'i Island Business Recycling Guide and Workbook, which provides local businesses with information on how to conduct a waste audit and establish a waste reduction and recycling program. This effort could be expanded into a program that includes County staff increasing the extent of the technical assistance provided to local businesses to conduct waste audits and help them implement sustainable best business practices to minimize waste, with an emphasis on zero waste principles. As part of the County's effort to work with local businesses to reduce waste, the County could encourage retailers and their suppliers to take -back products and packaging that are currently difficult to reuse, recycle or compost. Potential take -back programs could be publicized by posting all cooperating retailers on the County's Web site and publishing frequent articles and /or ads in the local newspaper and County newsletter. The County could develop a program to work cooperatively with local businesses to emphasize building deconstruction and support local initiatives for adaptive reuse of materials generated during deconstruction projects. A more aggressive stance that has been adopted by some communities would be to require that all new building permits in the county above a particular size threshold include a Waste Reduction Plan, perhaps with a monetary deposit, to address waste associated with construction or demolition projects. To be effective, this type of policy must be accompanied by good opportunities for recycling of construction and demolition materials. Thus, these requirements would need to be structured in a manner that it is consistent with available reuse and recycling opportunities. Estimated Cost: The cost of this option would differ depending on the speed of implementation. It could be implemented slowly with existing staff and resources or more rapidly if additional resources were provided. At least initially, there would be some added cost to businesses to conduct audits and change existing material management methods. 3.5.3 Visitor Industry Because tourism is one of the largest industries in Hawai'i County, hotels, motels and other lodging facilities contribute a significant portion of the County's waste. There are a variety of basic measures that these facilities can implement to reduce their waste stream, including: • Replace disposable products with reusable products (utensils, dishes, cleaning supplies). • Buy in bulk, when possible. • Offer newspapers only upon request. • Change linens only upon request. • Utilize soap and shampoo dispensers rather than disposable containers. • Utilize air hand dryers or reusable napkins in public restrooms, rather than disposable. • Change lighting fixtures from incandescent to fluorescent bulbs or light emitting diodes (LEDs). December 2009 3 -9