Hawai'i's capital has 80% of the state's population and is the gateway for most of the 7 to 8 million tourists that visit annually. Honolulu also grapples with a huge trash problem. Its 900,000 residents and 80,000 daily visitors combined contribute over 1.5 million tons of trash each year. About one-third of that garbage is incinerated to provide electricity. But whatever is not recycled ends up at a landfill southwest of the city, and space is disappearing fast.
City leaders thought they had a solution for all that garbage: shred it, bale it, and
send it to a landfill in Washington state. Native Americans who administer the land where the dump is located, however, said no thank you, and filed a court order to prevent the import of trash. Another landfill exists on the Big Island of Hawai'i, but a local ordinance there nixes the delivery of trash from outside the island. Meanwhile, space is running out, and no one wants a landfill near the backyard. Why would they? Oahu is crammed with natural beauty. But that trash has go to go somewhere. Increased recycling may offer part of a solution.
Honolulu City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz
introduced a bill that would require building permit applicants to submit plans that would prove reuse or recycling of 60% of any demolished and dismantled materials. Such a plan appears to be a solid place to start: According to
Re-use Hawai'i, a non-profit that sources and resells used construction materials, about
35% of landfill waste in Hawai'i comes from construction projects. The bill exceeds general LEED requirements, which suggest that 50% of building materials be diverted from landfills.
As it stands, the bill
needs some fine-tuning. Local contractors support the spirit of the bill, but want incentives including tax breaks and a fast-track permit process included in any new law. The bill also does not spell out what the penalty would be for any violation of the law.
The problem will likely get worse before any solution is agreed upon. Hawai'i has had its share of economic problems the past decade, but it is still growing: various indices rank the Honolulu area as having one of the highest qualities of life on the globe—and meanwhile, tourists are coming back.
One place where contractors could start is in
Re-Use Hawai'i's warehouse. The organization receives used building materials, and then resells them at costs that are tiny when compared to those at a building supply store. Proceeds from the warehouse's sales go towards Re-use Hawai'i's expansion and education projects, while reducing trips to Oahu's landfill.
