Question: If the city is collecting trash in gray bins to burn at HPOWER, which saves money, why are we putting newspapers and cardboard into the blue recycle bins, when recycled refuse costs the taxpayers money to ship off island?
Answer: Because those "higher-value" materials do generate money for the city.
"Both HPOWER and recycling benefit the city economically and environmentally, most importantly by reducing what goes to landfill," said Markus Owens, spokesman for the Department of Environmental Services.
Higher-value materials are targeted for recycling, while the lower-value combustibles are sent to HPOWER, the city’s waste-to-energy plant.
No figures were available for the city’s current recycling contract with RRR Recycling Services.
But a 2011 report — bit.ly/1BZXTyp — examined the city’s recycling program. (June 2011 marked the completion of the first full year of the city’s implementation of islandwide recycling.)
The report explained that the processing contract for the mixed recyclables is a revenue-sharing agreement. Under the agreement, a per-ton unit price for processing is established by bid.
The city is credited the full value of the collected materials to cover the processing charge, while the remaining value is split 50-50 with the contractor.
For fiscal year 2011 the city was credited with delivering 20,971 tons of mixed recyclables to the contractor with a total value of $4.17 million.
The processing charge of $1.04 million was deducted from the $4.17 million, and the remaining $3.1 million was split with the contractor. The city’s net revenue was $1.5 million.
The current contract has the same structure as the previous contract; however, processing fees have increased with new state requirements for sorting beverage containers, Owens said. He also noted that commodity market values for recycling fluctuate.
"We do not have enough data collected under the new contract to provide the same breakdown of costs and benefits (as in the 2011 report) at this time," Owens said.
The current contract began in June, and only a few months of data are available, he said.
Recycling Values
Owens was able to provide a straight comparison of the per-ton value from electrical revenue generated through HPOWER versus recycling revenue (not including processing costs or revenue-sharing agreements for either side):
» One ton of refuse can generate 520 kilowatt-hours of electricity, for which Hawaiian Electric Co. pays the city $0.197 per kilowatt-hour, or $104 per ton.
» One ton of newspaper currently is selling for $90 to $95.
» One ton of cardboard currently is selling for $125.
» One ton of No. 1 plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) currently is selling for $285 to $290.
» One ton of No. 2 plastic (high-density polyethylene) currently is selling for $350.
Mahalo
To the heroes who saved our baby dog Sasha. Our family is grateful to the two beautiful ladies and their families and a friendly male who helped me with my dog in December. While taking Sasha for a run, she got caught in the wheel of my bicycle. This occurred across from Kapolei High School. The two ladies heard my cries for help and, without hesitation, took action to release Sasha, which I’m sure saved her life! Once Sasha was released, they took off immediately. The attentive male came just as Sasha was released and offered to take us (me, Sasha and my bike) to the veterinary hospital. God bless these true angels who came to our rescue in our desperate time of need! — The Logsdons
Mahalo
Belatedly, to two gentlemen who helped me after I took a bad fall and fractured my elbow in a parking lot off Nimitz Highway last October. They stayed with me the whole time. I wish I knew their names because I want to tell them how much I felt comforted by their presence. — No Name
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Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
