Question: Can a household customer (residential) put an old computer at the curb for bulky pickup?
Answer: Only if it’s too large to fit in the regular trash cart, according to the Honolulu Department of Environmental Services’ bulky-pickup reservation system. However, throwing a computer in the trash isn’t the best option, according to ENV, community groups and recycling companies. A lot of e-waste can be refurbished or recycled, and there are numerous collection points that assure used electronics won’t end up in Hawaii’s dumps. One option is Going Green, whose community events have been recycling e-waste and other items for more than 20 years; the group has an event scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the American Red Cross, 4155 Diamond Head Road.
Another is E-opala Electrical Recycling, whose mission “is to retrieve, reuse, and recycle electronic waste while supporting local schools and sustainability programs throughout the islands,” Jenny Bui, a spokesperson for the company, said in an email.
“We try our best to give things a second life or a third life, but if we can’t repurpose it then it will be recycled,” she said in a follow-up phone interview. Donors should clear personal information before dropping off a device; the company also provides secure data destruction for a fee.
E-opala hosts free, public e-waste recycling events that also serve as school fundraisers, as the company shares a portion of the proceeds from e-waste collected at the event. The school or nonprofit group generally receives $500 to $3,000, Bui said. E-opala has three events coming up:
>> Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon at Waikiki Elementary School, 3710 Leahi Ave.
>> May 10, 8 a.m. to noon, Kapalama Elementary School, 1601 N. School St.
>> May 24, 8 a.m. to noon, Kaiser High School, 511 Lunalilo Home Road. Event benefits Kaiser Athletics.
E-opala events will accept the following: computers and peripherals; cellphones and other phones; hard drives (data destruction available for a fee); batteries (alkaline, lead acid and UPS); IT equipment; laptops and tablets; monitors; power cords; printers; and TVs (flat and CRT).
Do not bring (not acceptable): light bulbs and lithium ion batteries; cooking appliances; electric personal items; floor fans and vacuums; propane tanks; stereo equipment; hazardous materials; or construction and demolition waste.
Bui stressed that members of the public don’t have to wait for a community event to drop off e-waste for free. The company welcomes drop-off of personal-use e-waste at its Mapunapuna warehouse, 2627 Kilihau St., Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; appointments are required on Saturdays. Call 808-232-2000 for more information.
By federal regulation, businesses and government agencies can’t simply throw away e-waste, but those rules don’t apply to households, according to ENV. Still, the agency encourages households to donate or recycle e-waste, and provides details about various ways to do so on its website, 808ne.ws/44JvuCv.
Q: Isn’t there usually a prescription drug collection in April or May? I haven’t heard anything about it.
A: Yes, a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at six locations on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, according to a news release from the state Department of the Attorney General.
Here are the sites where expired or unused prescription drugs can be dropped off for free, anonymously, with no questions asked.
Oahu
>> State Capitol, drive-thru along 415 S. Beretania St.
>> Pearl City police station parking lot, 1100 Waimano Home Road
>> Times Supermarket Kahala parking lot, 1173 21st Ave.
Kauai
>> Kauai Police Department parking lot, 3990 Kaana St., Lihue
Maui
>> Maui Police Department parking lot, 55 Mahalani St., Wailuku
Hawaii island
>> Ka Waena Lapa‘au Medical Complex, upper parking lot at corner of Ponahawai and Komohana streets in Hilo
“Tablets, capsules, liquids and other forms of medication will be accepted. Everything can be kept in its original container. No labels need to be removed. Vaping devices will also be accepted, but batteries must be removed. New or used syringes will not be accepted,” the news release said.
In addition to take-back events, which are held twice a year, pharmacy drop-off sites are open all year. Use the locator tool at 808ne.ws/predrop to find the nearest one.
E kala mai
My apologies to the driver who was trying to pull out from his parking stall in the McCully area on April 17. The rideshare driver mistakenly drove into the lot in the wrong direction. You were unable to move as his car was blocking the path while picking me up. It was pouring rain. Both parties were yelling at each other, particularly myself. I sincerely regret my rude behavior and language. Fortunately, no one was physically injured. — A reader
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
