Businesses Will Soon Face Greenwaste Recycling Fees

Businesses dropping off greenwaste at recycling facilities in East Hawai’i and West Hawai’i will soon be faced with a new tipping fee.

The County of Hawai’i Department of Environmental Management made the announcement on Wednesday that businesses will be charged with a new fee that will help finance the expansion of greenwaste facilities island-wide.

Residential customers with self-haul greenwaste from private residential properties will not be affected by the new tipping fee and can continue to drop off greenwaste for free at the seven designated locations throughout the Big Island.

Recycled greenwaste is turned into mulch that is made available to the community free of charge. According to the county, the greenwaste program currently costs more than $1.8 million a year.

Through the county’s new tipping fee charge to businesses, it is expected that more than $500,000 will be generated that, in tur, will be used to expand organic recycling services, including the establishment of new greenwaste drop-off locations at additional transfer stations.

Businesses can expect to be paying $21.25 per ton, which is 25 percent of the normal solid waste landfill tipping fee of $85 per ton. In 2005, the greenwaste tipping fee was established by the Hawai’i County Council, but the fee was held off the fee during the recession.

Beginning July 1, businesses must drop off their greenwaste at either the West Hawai’i or East Hawai’i Organics Facilities. Each business will be required to obtain a Solid Waste Facility Disposal Permit prior to dropping on the greenwaste.

Applications for the Solid Waste Facility Disposal Permit can be obtained from the Hawai’i Zero Waste website, as well as at County scale houses or by calling the Solid Waste Office at 961-8270.

Customers with residential greenwaste from private residential property can continue to drop off their greenwaste at the West Hawai’i Organics Facility, East Hawai’i Organics Facility or at the following County Recycling & Transfer Stations: Kealakehe, Ke’ei, Puako, Pahoa, and Kea’au.

Residents and businesses can both collect free mulch and assisted mechanical loading at the West Hawai’i Organics Facility and at the East Hawai’i Organics Facility. Smaller loads of mulch and assisted mechanical loading of mulch are also available at the Kealakehe Recycling Transfer Station, with a small fee for larger loads.

Those interested in learning more about Hawai’i County’s greenwaste recycling and free mulch should visit the Hawai’i Zero Waste website.