HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0026.001 2006-2008 Murashige, Laura
From: Malielani Larish [larishm@cc.wwu.edu]
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 8:32 PM
To: cou nciltesti mony@co. hawaii. hi. us
Subject: Testimony for Jan.23 Environmental Management Mtg.
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Attachments: writt_testimony.doc C~"i ~~I~d 1~ 7 I
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r~ritt_testimony.doc
(23 KB)
Hi:
Please find the testimony attached as a Word document.
Thank you,
Malie Larish
Comm. I`i0._~
Ref. To: Press EML
Ref. Uate JAN 23 200?_
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Written testimony of Malie Larish
Waiakea High School Alumni
Western Washington University Student
Submitted Jan. 18, 2006
Prepared For the Environmental Management Committee, Hawaii County
RE: Waste Manaeement on the Bi Isg land, by Meleah Houseknecht
I am writing in support of Meleah Houseknecht's report, Waste Management on the Bie
Island. Recovering more recyclable materials, establishing a commercial composting
site, and developing facilities for the drop-off and pick-up of construction and demolition
wastes should be priorities for the county.
As a student in Washington, I am continually impressed by the state's innovative
approaches to waste management. Richard Neyer, director of the recycle center at my
campus, is proud to say that he and his team of student employees keep the cost of
recycling cheaper than garbage pick-up for the university. Green Earth Technologies in
Lynden, Washington, is able to compost such diverse items as meat, kitchen scraps, pizza
boxes, ice cream cartons, and yard waste, selling the rich soil amendment that results to
local agribusiness. In Bellingham and Seattle, the RE Store salvages construction
materials from buildings that are about to be demolished, selling them to contractors and
homeowners who successfully incorporate the used materials into new projects.
As Houseknecht points out, "the commodity stream that ultimately becomes the discard
stream is made up of a complex set of items." The report states that 44.8 % of the
materials hauled to the county's landfills are recyclable (21). It is our responsibility to
exploit this complexity instead of grouping these items together to be buried.
Commendable programs like HIS, green waste, and extensive recycling facilities have
begun to exploit this complexity, but much more can be done to reduce trash and make it
manageable and valuable for our community, land, and future.
Sincerely,
Malie Larish