Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, January 2, 2015
Auditor: State Policies Create Barrier to Glass Recycling
By Hawaii State Auditor @ 4:58 PM :: 8824 Views :: Environment, Small Business, Tax Credits, Taxes

A Study to Identify Local Alternatives to Shipping Non-Deposit Glass out of the State of Hawai‘i

Hawaii State Auditor's Report No. 14-17, December, 2014

Combination of alternatives are needed to down-cycle a significant volume of glass in Hawai‘i

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 74 of the 2014 Legislature asked the Auditor to examine local alternatives to shipping non-deposit glass containers out of the State for recycling. We contracted with Oceanit Laboratories, Inc., to conduct the study. In this, the second of two reports, the study found there is no one single alternative option that would remove all or most non-deposit glass from the waste stream in Hawai‘i. The study emphasizes that glass is a low-value commodity which makes nearly every option—including recycling, down-cycling, or disposing glass in a landfill—costly to implement.

There are many local uses for glass, but all require varying levels of support

The report identifies several opportunities for large volume down-cycling uses in Hawai‘i. Downcycling is the process of converting waste glass into new materials or products of lesser quality and reduced functionality. Recycling means to melt the glass containers and make them into another glass product. Using criteria such as cost, potential demand, health and safety, environmental impacts, and industry or public resistance, the study identified and assessed nearly a dozen alternative local uses of down-cycling glass. These options include using glass for non-structural backfill, agricultural soil amendment and ground cover, traction and mud abatement, and filtration media. The study also categorized alternatives by those that would be the simplest to implement; those that represent the highest value; and those that would produce the best long-term results. The report notes that a combination of these down-cycling alternatives is necessary to produce notable results due to industrial and market fluctuations.

Policies have created barriers to local uses for post-consumer glass

The study found the interaction between the advance disposal fee (ADF) and the deposit beverage container (DBC) programs creates inefficiencies in the recycling or down-cycling of glass. Both programs involve the same commodity but create two categories of glass that are subject to different rules and policies. This also increases costs as the glass must be separated manually to identify glass that falls under each program. Further, space is limited for recyclers, so it is more efficient for some counties and recyclers to treat both DBC and ADF glass the same and ship it all to the mainland for recycling.

The study also found that current laws are ambiguous on whether the State prefers to down-cycle or recycle. For example, the Department of Health promulgated a draft policy to help regulate the recycling of DBC and ADF glass. However, the department contends the policy does not necessarily apply to ADF glass which creates confusion for the counties and recyclers. Further, the study states while counties and recyclers believe they are not allowed to stockpile glass due to onerous regulatory restrictions, the department claims its glass policy does not restrict glass stockpiling.

In order to provide clarity to stakeholders regarding what is permissible regarding both DBC and ADF glass, the study suggests the department update and finalize its 2008 policy on glass recycling.  The study recommends the policy, which currently encourages recycling over down-cycling, should equally emphasize both methods. Other areas the policy should be updated include glass stockpiling, listing approved down-cycling options, and increasing the recovery rate for ADF glass containers to roughly the same redemption rate achieved by the DBC program.

read ... Entire Report

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii