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COUNTY OF HAWAII -•f��' %:•: STATE OF HAWAII
RESOLUTION NO. 28 13
(DRAFT 2)
A RESOLUTION TO STRONGLY URGE THE STATE TO CONTINUE FUNDING THE
COUNTY OF HAWAI`I'S HI-5 RECYCLING PROGRAM .
WHEREAS, Hawai`i Revised Statutes Chapter 342G, Part VIII, Deposit Beverage
Container Program, provides the framework for the recycling program most commonly known as
the HI-5 program; and
WHEREAS, according to the State of Hawai`i's Department of Health, more than
75 percent of the 900 million HI-5 containers purchased annually in the State of Hawai`i are
brought to recycling facilities for redemption, saving space in landfills, and allowing them to be
recycled and repurposed for additional uses; and
WHEREAS, according to the County of Hawai`i's Department of Environmental
Management, the rate of return for HI-5 containers in the County of Hawai`i is over 90 percent
which is significantly higher than the statewide return rate; and
WHEREAS, according to the County of Hawai`i's Department of Environmental
Management, since the HI-5 program implementation in 2005, the County of Hawai`i has
recycled more than 778 million beverage containers, which equates to more than 90 million
pounds of material that has not gone to our landfills or littered beaches, parks and roads; and
WHEREAS, the 2009 County of Hawai`i Integrated Resources and Solid Waste
Management Plan identified recycling and waste diversion as major activities to help the County
reach its goal to divert 50 percent of solid waste from any landfill by 2008 and 80 percent by 2013,
as set forth by Resolution No. 28-03, Draft 2, and duly adopted by the County Council on January
23, 2003; and
WHEREAS, On December 19, 2007, the County Council adopted Resolution No. 356-07,
Draft 2, to embrace and adopt the principles of zero waste as a long-term goal for Hawai`i County;
and
WHEREAS, despite the success rate of the HI- 5 program here in Hawai`i County, the
State of Hawai`i intends to discontinue funding Hawai`i County's HI-5 program at county
transfer stations at the end of this fiscal year. This will result in a loss of 10 of the 20 total HI-5
redemption centers on island where 5 are located in underserved areas such as Honoka`a, Hawi,
Puako, Wai`ohinu, and Pahoa which will cause some residents to drive over an hour to recycle
HI-5 containers; and
WHEREAS, the cut in funding will result in a loss of two County HI-5 Recycling
Specialists located on Hawai`i Island to assist the state with retail and redemption compliance
assistance and educating residents and visitors about the HI-5 Program. Island residents have
been educated by the HI-5 staff and take pride in their efforts toward a cleaner, healthier and
stronger economy where the recycling creates jobs and reduces tremendous costs of a solid waste
program; and
WHEREAS, the success of the HI-5 Program and 2 Bin Mixed Recycling Program has
largely been due to the one-stop shop design at the county transfer stations where one can recycle
just about anything. The HI-5 Program has been a catalyst to the 2 Bin program where a recent
survey shows 75% use the HI-5 Recycling and 80% use the 2-Bin Recycling at the Transfer
Stations which shows that together they can be part of a comprehensive approach to recycling;
and
WHEREAS, the HI-5 program operates by charging 6.5 cents per HI-5 bottle or can,
with 5 cents paid to the customer if the container is returned to a redemption center and 1.5 cents
is applied to State administrative costs; and
WHEREAS, the County of Hawai`i does not receive any of the revenue collected by the
State and has no control over the redemption fees set by the state; and
WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii understands that there is a budget shortfall in the
HI-5 program, and this budget issue needs to be addressed collaboratively in a comprehensive
manner by both the state and County of Hawai`i; and
WHEREAS, according to the County of Hawai`i's Department of Environmental
Management, an estimated $765,000 is needed in the budget for next fiscal year in order to
continue the HI-5 program in the County of Hawaii for an additional year; and
WHEREAS, the County of Hawai`i's Department of Environmental Management is
currently working to reduce the cost in future years through a new procurement without
impacting the services to the community, especially in rural areas; and
WHEREAS, the HI-5 program should be funded for one more year as it is currently
administered while budget and related issues are addressed in a comprehensive and collaborative
manner in keeping with the overarching principle of reducing our collective solid waste stream
now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that it
strongly urges the state to continue funding the County of Hawaii's HI-5 recycling program for
an additional fiscal year to allow time for the state and County of Hawai`i to address this issue
collaboratively.
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BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall forward copies of this
resolution to the Honorable Neil Abercrombie, Governor of the State of Hawai`i; the Honorable
William P. Kenoi, Mayor of the County of Hawai`i; the Director of the State Department of
Health; the Director of the State Department of Health, Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch; the
State Senators and Representatives for the County of Hawai`i; the Director of the Department of
Environmental Management for the County of Hawai`i.
Dated at Hilo , Hawai`i, this 9th day of January , 2013.
INTRODUCED BY:
OUNCIL : BER, COUNTY OF HAWAI`I
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawai`i AYES NOES ABS EX
Hilo, Hawai`i EOFF X
FORD X
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by ILAGAN X
the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the KANUHA
County of Hawaii on January 9, 2013 X
KERN X
ONISHI X
ATTEST: POINDEXTER X 0 WILLS X
YOSHIMOTO X
9 0 0
k � 0
• _ Reference: C-4$.3/Waived EMC
COUNTY CLERK CHAIRPERSON & PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO. 28 13
(DRAFT 2)
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