Question: Where does the city take our green waste? Is it turned into fertilizer? If yes, is that available to the public?
Answer: You are asking about the collection of green carts on Oahu’s residential three-bin collection routes; the green carts hold yard trimmings and other green waste, while the gray carts are for household rubbish and the blue carts are for mixed recyclables.
Green waste is taken to Hawaiian Earth Recycling in Wahiawa, which turns it into compost, not fertilizer, said Markus Owens, spokesperson for Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services.
“HER mixes compost to create special blends for specific applications. Mulch is derived from the composting process and sold as a top dressing,” he said in an email.
Unscreened mulch is available to the public at no cost, but call ahead to confirm availability, he said. The number is 808-682-5895.
On Oahu, Hawaiian Earth Recycling’s main facility is in Wahiawa on Wilikina Drive; it also has transfer stations at Campbell Industrial Park in Kapolei and in Waimanalo on Mokulama Street, according to its website, hawaiianearth.com.
The company recycles more than 140,000 tons of residential and commercial green waste, food waste and wood every year, it says.
Q: My daughter received two postcards with checks of $0.16 attached to each. The return address was “Storage Class Action Settlement Fund c/o Settlement Administrator.” Above the check it says “Enclosed is your Settlement payment as a Settlement Class Member in the class action lawsuit James Stewart, et al. v. Apple Inc.” She never had a storage unit. Is this a scam?
A: No. This notification refers to data storage, not a storage unit for household goods. Tech giant Apple settled a class-action lawsuit in 2022 over the storage of iCloud users’ data on non-Apple servers. Settlement payments, which are less than $1 for most eligible iCloud users, might arrive in the form of a postcard check, according to a website devoted to the case.
Auwe
The tent city along King Street toward University Avenue seems to be growing again; there’s a stretch of tents on both sides of the street. The sidewalks are impassable at some points. I used to go to a few businesses and food places along that stretch, but no more. I feel sorry for the people living in tents, but I also feel sorry for the business owners who are trying to make a living amid these homeless encampments. — Moiliili resident
Mahalo
On Jan. 31 I loaded my car with purchases from Waipio Costco, but I inadvertently left my TurboTax purchase in the cart. After getting home, I noticed that I was missing the TurboTax. I called Costco and talked to Warren from administration and explained my predicament. After getting all the necessary information and checking with lost and found, Warren went to look in the area where I had left my cart. Thankfully, the purchase was still in the cart, and Warren arranged to get it to me. Thank you for going above and beyond your duties, Warren. — Grateful senior
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
