Off the news: City garbage truck fleet is overloaded

Honolulu’s garbage trucks are falling behind schedule for trash pickup runs, and residents should expect intermittent delays, the city’s Department of Environmental Services (ENV) has announced.

The city typically replaces about 15 of its 105 refuse trucks annually. But over the past five fiscal years, ENV has received only 17 of 73 ordered — and none since 2020, because of supply chain and manufacturing slowdowns that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let’s hope the city can keep the trash-collection fleet viable while awaiting delivery of 11 new vehicles this year, with another 15 expected in 2025.