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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0227.002 1998-2000 RECYCLING AND REUSE ON THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII RECEIVED ' A Vision and Action Plan a 1~1~~:----- •..ty CouncilT~~~ Prepared for the Recycling and Keuse Industry on the Inland of Hazvaii by Rura! Community Assistance Corporatiozz Hi1a, Hawaii 96720 December 1998 Comm. No. 2p'2~'~7• ~~Z File No. 1~Gr Ref. To: Fresenfads~ PwPC Ref. Date 3 ^ 8 ' 9 9 RECYCLING AND REUSE ON THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII A Vision and Action Plan December 1998 This document was produced by Rural Commuuity A.crirtance Corporation with funding from a rural hutine.rc enterpritegrantfrom the U. S. Department ofAgnculture, Rural Development, and funding fmm Rura! Community A.cri rtance Corporation. Rural Community Assistance Corporation 234 Waianuenue Avenue, Suite 218 Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Corporate o~ce: 2125 19th Street, Suite 203 Sacramento, California 95818 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recycling and reuse businesses on the Big Island are facing a potentially disastrous scenario. The Count}' of Hawaii administration is considering contracting with a private company from the mainland to construct and operate a solid waste facility to replace the Hilo landfill. Such an eventuality, operating in conjunction with the West Hawaii landfill, could deprive locally owned and operated recycling and reuse businesses of most of their life blood- recyclable and reusable resources in the solid waste stream. Rather than wait for the County of Hawaii to make a final decision, some local businesses that could be affected arc advocating cooperative action. They have allied themselves with one another and with supportive community organizations and individuals to develop a viable alternative to the options now under consideration by the county. That alternative is described in this document. Part I of this document contains a vision statement. It is intended to be a guide for public policy- makers, businesses, organizations assisting recycling and reuse businesses, and individuals during a time of transition from "waste" management to "resource" management. This vision is not an idle dream. Fn~er}~thing described in the vision statement is achievable. Many mainland communities are already well along the way toward realizing similar visions. Part II of this document contains an action plan. The plan details: (1) goals of the Big Island rec}cling and reuse industry, (2) the strategy to be employed to achieve those goals, and (3) specific projects which will transform the Big Island recycling and reuse vision into reality. The basis of the proposed strategy is a simple input-output model (Figure 1 on page 1 G). The model shows consumers and businesses generating recyclable and reusable materials, which are collected by hau]ers or delivered to resource collection stations, recycling centers, and Recycling And Reuse Enterprise (RARE) Parks. Materials are hauled from the resource collection stations and recycling centers to the RARE Parks. These steps constitute the input phase of the model. Recycling and reuse businesses located in the RARE Parks process, refurbish, and recycle incoming materials. These processes represent the conversion of input to output in the model. See page 7 for a detailed description of RARE Parks. On the output side of the model, businesses in the RARE Parks sell reusables, processed recyc]ables, and new products made from recycled materials to off-island brokers and remanufacturers, on- island users and remanufacturers, resellers, consumers, and other reuse businesses. The strategy emphasizes creation of new on-is]and markets for processed recyclables and new products made from rec}cled materials. iii GOALS goal states a desired future result. The goals of the RRIDG are derived From the vision statement. Goals, by definition, are general in nature. They are not measurable or time specific. Those established in this plan will gain greater clarity through specific and measurable objectives intended to be accomplished by the projects. project may be something as simple as making and installing a sign, or as complex as developing a Re~7~drng and Reure Enterpnre (RARE) pork Projects are designated as either priority or future. Priority projects arc those the RRIDG intends to begin immediately and complete as soon as possible. Priority- projects are urgently needed to provide the County of Hawaii with a viable alternative to ro/rd a-arte options currently under consideration. Future projects are necessary and desirable, but not as urgent as priority' projects. For each priority project, this document gives a project name, purposes of the project, specific and measurable objectives to be achieved in furtherance of the industry's goals, a general list of resources required to complete the project, and the entity(ies) having primary responsibility for planning and implementing the project. For future projects, only the project tide, description, and purpose arc given. more detailed work plan will be prepared for each project before it is implemented. The paramount goal of the Big Island recycling/reuse industry, simply stated, is: Goal l To capture, through locally owned and operated businesses, as much of the Big Island's total stream of discarded resourcesas can be economically recycled or reused, and to maximize the on-island use of those materials in value-adding activities. [Addressed by all projects] Recl~r/aGler and reutaG/er are the lifeblood of rerycting and reuse businesses. If existing local reryclrng and reuse businesses are to thrive and expand, they must have full access to all recyclable and reusable dttcnrdt. 13 Supporting goals are: Goal 2: To gain the full support and cooperation of county and state governments, local businesses, and Big Island residents for the rerycling and reuse vision. [Addressed b}' Projects lA, 3B] Goal 3: To utilize the recyclable and reusable components of dlrcarded rerourcer to stimulate the Big island economy, by: preserving e:tisting jobs. creating new long-term jobs. replacing imported products with products manufactured locally from recycled materials. keeping local money circulating in the state economy as long as possible. preventing the upping fees that would be paid to a mainland operator from going to the mainland, thereby creating a leak in the Big Island economy. [Addressed by all projects] Goal 4: To create apublic-private partnership with the County of Hawaii to implement an economically and environmentally feasible solution for managing dircarded rerourcer. (Addressed by Projects 1 B, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 3B, SA, SB, 5C] Goal 5: To create greater efficiencies of operation for Big Island reryrliug and reure businesses. (Addressed by Projects 4A, SA, 5B, 5D, 6A] Goal 6: To foster a new resource conservation ethic on the Big Island, in which most dirtarded rerourcerare viewed by most residents as valuable resources rather than waste. (Addressed by Projects IA, SD, SE] 14 w ]p ~ n c 2~ m ` ~ awi c ~ c 1 y~~D~y w A n ~0 n N o a 77 m p c~ c t~ A ~ ~ ac ~ ^.e nm c . ~ ~ w m n ~ ~ m w cm Z ~ w ~ m .C 5,'.. m m m ~ 6 S `Q W N mz gm ~ m c r0 r ~ - nSm ~vn, o c C~.w ~ x~ m c £ n°~ c oPi~ w...~~ c Fi~~ ~ Z ¢n n~ x 3.m~ cam n~ ~my~ A ~ Qm ~rn~ n wn m yg2 ~ . N ~ ~F (`y N ffCpD~ w+ N y. ~ N ~ N O. S 2 & p Cwi N O N ~ r~ Z ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ < A J QV O ~ 0 G ~ w'n 37 w m~ o c 3 T ~ n 4R ~ G A ~ V O w rtDn vi w ~ _r RI ~ " w ~ c N n - ~ ~ ~ N fO m ~ N d.G N o C ~ rn ~ ~ A~ r Z s„ - °m 3m oC) ~y O ~ xy ~ ~ C w ~ y~NnN ~v _ O m ma~~N.. ~c voo ~~m3c ~S a ~ - v ~ Q w ~ C d fD Q N C w f0 w~ n c v) N C J n N ~ N CI N. ~ fD O~ N N C N D N ~ A d 7 I)1 d_ d ~N C ? ~ N (0 N m N d n ~ ~ ~ O. ~ u~ W a...... Z 4 t ~ (~0 ~ C j n \ ~ 7 A n ~ G O N S S A O A tD .0 A (D b a N - C m° v y c ~ d y c N ~ m c y ~ cQCy s mn~^ ~~~c can D m e ~ 3 d a m ~ oT o~ N~ z N ~ ~ O ~ o€ m. w~ m e m n ~p tai ~~d to n o. " ? w g ~n Q ~ ~ c I Priority Project IA: Information Campaign Description. The vision and action plan will be disseminated as widely as possible, through as many channels as possible, as quickly as possible. Priority will be given to ensuring that the mayor, counn~ council members, candidates for local office, the news media, and key business leaders have and understand the vision statement and action plan. The information campaign will emphasize the following messages to the public: • ReryclaGler and reurabler are valuable resources, which should not be buried in landfi!!t. • Most dirrardr can be recycled or reused. • Putting most reryrlabler and reurabler into the hands of rerycling and reure businesses can reduce the cost of government by reducing the need for cosily landfi!!r and hauling. • Rerydinx and reure businesses must have more reryclabler and reurabler in order to grow. • ;~s reryding and reure businesses grow, they create new jobs for Big Island residents and generate more wealth for our island community, causing money to circulate more in the focal economy. • Reryr!!nR and reure greatly reduce the need for landfill space. • It is vitally impottant to the future of the Big Island economy and environment that every citizen become a partner in conserving recyclable and reusable resources. • Costs are incurred Eor handling reryclabler and reurabler. Those costs are, however, sometimes lower than costs for handling rolid wane, and can be recovered through services and sales of new products made from recycled materials. This project will build on past and present effotts of Recycle Hawau, rerycling and reure businesses, and other organizations to present accurate information about rerycling and reure to the public. In addition to publications and releases to the media, trainers will go into businesses, classrooms, and special event environments to talk, demonstrate, and distribute materials. Creators of the vision and action plan will begin using the new vocabulary in all publications, advertising, communications, signs, etc. They will fattuliarize others with the new vocabulary and encourage others to use it in all commutcations. Businesses, government agencies, school classes, communit}' organizations, and individuals will be asked to commit to using the new vocabulary at every opportunity, and will be commended for doing so. Residents will be challenged to support and assist the industry's development efforts by: • Identifi~ing imported products that could be replaced with locally manufactured products made Erom recycled materials. • Buying products made on the Big Island from recycled materials instead of imported products whenever possible. • Identif~-ing new ways to recycle or reuse various items. • Preparing all reryrlabler and reurabler properly for rerycling or reure and discarding them through reryrling and reure services and facilities. 17 5 Rec}~clittgAnd Rertre Ereterpri.;e (R-1RE) PanF~ Figure 1 (page 16) is essentially an input-output model of the proposed system. Re9~doble and reruable ~/ircarai from cooperatice members eonsdtute the input. Renrabler, processed rey~labler, and new produces manufactured from recccled materials constitute the output. In the center of the model is the mechanism for com~erdng input to output-the Re~ydmg,~lnAReure Enterprire (RARL-J Park Iris important to note chat the Rerycling,4nd Reuse Ente~prire (RARE) Parkis a flexible concept • There could be one or more actual physical parks with different businesses in each. • There could be several RARE Parkr with a Eew businesses rotating equipment and ~rorkers' among the parks. For example, a comportabler processing business could be headyuattered in one park, lease space in other parks around the island for receipt, storage, and processing of romportabler, and rotate a tub grinder and crew- among the sites. • There could be one "mega" park with the Eull gamut of businesses and sen-ices, and several smaller parks providing convenient drop-off locations, storage, and limited processing services. • RARE Park might even be a "victual" facility, with a number of rerycling and rrure businesses located in a small geographic area, such as Hilo, buying and selling materials to and from one another, referring customers, and performing other functions of a RARE Park through agreements. Although there would be a loss of effiaencc and higher costs, this might be the only acceptable Eorm of the RARE Park Eor owners who do not want to move established businesses to a new location. Discussions within the RRIDG favored nvo RARE Parkr, one to serve the eastern half of the island and one to sen•e the western half This arrangement would increase convenience for users and avoid obstacles posed by the island's geography and its highway system. Still to be determined is whether one cooperatice will own and operate both parks or the parks will be owned and operated individuallc b}' nvo cooperatives. Priority Projects SA and SB are the industry's primary initiatives. These two projects should be implemented simultaneously. All other components of the industry development strategy depend upon development of the RARE Parks, which are in turn dependent upon creation of a community cooperatice. Priority Project 5C addresses the rrure component of RARE Parkr. Priority Project 5D, imoh-ing creation of a community cooperative, is related to the RARE Park projects. The cooperative is the developer and manager of a RARE Park Future Project 5E is an extension of Priorin• Project 5D. 33