Confusion on cans prompts a review of recycling rules

Question: Why are we not able to recycle tin cans on Oahu? I remember recycling them decades ago on the mainland, and am hoping some prog­ress is being made here.

Answer: It might not appear so, but even when you toss your tin or steel cans of green beans, Campbell’s soup and Spam into the trash can, you’re recycling them.

“All of the metals from our household collections are recycled, whether you put them in the blue (recycling) cart or toss them into the gray (trash cart),” said Suzanne Jones, the city’s recycling branch chief.

She explained that mixed recyclables put in the blue carts are delivered to a “material recycling facility” where they are sorted by commodity type, compacted, baled and shipped to recycling markets.

“Aluminum has a much higher market value than steel, and we benefit more economically when the aluminum is captured in the blue cart,” she said.

Trash in the gray carts is taken to the city’s HPOWER plant, where both ferrous and nonferrous metals (steel and aluminum cans) are extracted both before and after incineration, then separately sold for recycling.

“Steel cans are most often food cans, and it seemed easier for households to toss (them) in the gray cart and avoid having to clean them for recycling,” Jones said.

However, she acknowledged that as officials evaluate the program “for improvement opportunities,” they have noted there may be some confusion about what is and is not being recycled, “and perhaps we should open the blue cart to all cans, both aluminum and steel.”

This will likely be among the coming changes in the recycling program resulting from participant surveys, Jones said.

Question: At the intersection of Kalanianaole Highway and West Halemaumau Street heading Koko Head, there used to be a sign allowing traffic to make a left turn or a U-turn on the green arrow. Recently the traffic light pole on the median strip on Kalanianaole Highway was replaced, but the sign permitting a U-turn was not. Figuring authorities were in the process of replacing the sign, I made a U-turn on the green arrow but was stopped by a policeman who told me that a U-turn was not allowed. Is a U-turn permitted at this intersection?

Answer: U-turns are permitted at that intersection on the green arrow, as a newly installed sign now confirms.

The signal pole and sign were knocked down on Dec. 13, said Dan Mei­sen­zahl, spokes­man for the state Department of Transportation. The pole was replaced three days later, but not the U-turn sign.

Your question “brought this oversight to our attention” and led to posting of a new sign March 22.

Mahalo

To Brian, the Kailua Safeway manager (and a female assistant who helped), and the honest, kind person who turned in an “excess” of cash to the store. This person had asked for a specific amount of cash with his/her payment at the self-checkout counter and ended up with $60 more than what was requested. She/he turned it in instead of leaving the store with $60 of free money! Brian then set out to find out who used the checkout prior to this “angel.” With the aid of computers and his own persistence, he was successful, and we received a call asking about the cash. To make a long story short, my son-in-law had used the checkout and thought his request for extra cash was denied. He left the store with package in hand and cash in the “register.” Both my daughter and her husband would like to thank whoever “paid it forward.” May God bless you, and may you be treated as kindly as you’ve treated my daughter and son-in-law. Times are hard for many of us — some more than others — yet the aloha spirit is alive and well out there. Mahalo nui loa, Brian and whoever that honest person is. — Sally

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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.