PLASTIC UPDATE JULY 2004

When the general public puts “recyclables” in a bin marked for recycling, they understandably want to have faith their recyclables will be recycled.  We are pleased to report that Maui County is getting back on track regarding plastic recycling! Maui Recycling Service stands firmly behind the policy, "If we take it, it WILL get recycled".  We strongly believe in doing all we can to protect Maui and the recycling effort and will continue making sure that when we are told something is being recycled, it actually “IS” being recycled. If it is not being recycled then we ALL have the right to know what really happened to it and to each individuals wasted time and money for separating, staging, and hauling these items. Aloha Plastic Recycling handled the processing of the county recycling drop bins from the beginning of that program through June of 2001.  After that, Maui County put the hauling and processing of the drop boxes up for bid and gave it to Maui Disposal, the lowest bidder,  in July of 2001 In their bid they stated that they would accept mixed plastic in the drop bins and make sure it was recycled. Because M.R.S. has an agreement with the county to use the county drop bins for the number 1 residential plastic we receive, we continue doing what we can to see that this plastic is being recycled.  We guarantee that we will either make sure all the materials we collect get recycled or inform the public if this is not happening. In late 2002 it was brought to our attention that plastics, such as type number 1 bottles and plastic bags were not getting recycled. So M.R.S. stopped accepting them and wanted to get the word out, and facilitate change, hence the pictures from 2003 below. Maui Recycling Service is diligent about making sure ALL plastic and other items we take is properly sorted, clean, and delivered to the processors for recycling/reusing. Number 2 plastic is reused right here on Maui, by Aloha Plastic Recycling.  Between July, 2001 and February, 2004 A. P. received most of their Maui plastic from Maui Recycling service, even though the county drop bins handle tons more.  Aloha Plastic Recycling even has to purchase plastic from the mainland because they do not receive enough from the islands to keep up with their projects. After months of stock piling mixed plastic, Maui Disposal, confirmed that some had been land-filled…  Some plastic was sent to Hong Kong but the plastic was in such bad shape that they did not want anymore, and 24 bales still sit at the landfill waiting to be buried….                                (July 2004 photo of 24 bales waiting for burial at landfill) ...Finally, the County stepped in and supplied labor to help sort the plastic in an effort to make the plastic more receivable. Maui Disposal hired a new Vice President last year who is trying to get the “less than optimum” plastic history on a better track, and we HAVE seen proof of that.  We were told by the county that “all” plastic, since 2004 has been recycled, (although, Maui Disposal told us that PLASTIC BAGS ARE NOT because there is not enough tonnage to suffice shipping off-island) Since February of 2004, Aloha Plastic Recycling has been receiving regular shipments of number 2 plastic from Maui Disposal.               (2004 photo of bales of #2 plastic being unloaded at Aloha Plastic) According to Maui Disposal number 1 plastic is being shipped to Asia via Honolulu Recovery on Oahu , and we are still waiting to receive proof of that information. Maui Recycling Service resumed taking number 1 plastic from our customers last year and is permitted to place it in the county drop boxes.  We all should be able to “have faith” that what is said is being done is actually being done, that a contract is a contract, whether it is economically profitable or not. We will stay involved and let you know…

 

FEBRUARY, 2003 MAUI CENTRAL BASE YARD, February 10 After hearing in a meeting with Maui County February 6 that Maui Disposal had found a buyer for their plastic and had in fact, cleared out their yard, we went for a look.  This is what we found on February 10.  Their yard looked virtually the same as it had in January although a few bales had been moved out.   MAUI CENTRAL LANDFILL, February 11     Look familiar?  We were surprised to find these 22 bales of plastic sitting at the landfill February 11.  Where are those containers we heard about in the February 6 meeting with the Mayor? Remember the "Garbage Barge" that was homeless off the East Coast about ten years ago? - We have our own version right here paid for by county taxpayer dollars.   MAUI'S HOMELESS PLASTIC The plastic in the following photos, taken January 17, 2003 represent 18 months of plastic 'recycling' collected and hauled from businesses, homes and the county drop boxes.  There are an estimated 400 bales of mixed plastic sitting in the sun at the Maui Central Baseyard. From this perspective it looks like a rock mesa. From here, it resembles a canyon.     Some of the older plastic has rotted in the sun.       The new stuff isn't exactly clean.   Pu'u Opala Maui's Central Landfill, aka Pu'u Opala (Mount Garbage) is already receiving 438 tons of material a day and may end up receiving this unwanted plastic as well.  This photo was taken in September 2002.  Maui plows about 250,000 cubic yards of material into this landfill each year.  Without a County-run Material Recovery Facility, this will continue to be the fate of  most of Maui's solid waste.