The county is currently in the process of working out a new recycling program. They are hoping to test it in 2,000 South Maui homes, centered primarily in the Maui Meadows community.

Maui already has the recycling centers, and now the Arakawa administration is working on the next step, which is to purchase carts for recyclable items and green waste. That way, less material will be deposited into the Central Maui Landfill.

Mayor Arakawa is looking for a budget amendment for the trial run, which would provide $440,000 in funding. If the funding is approved, the program could begin in May. If all goes well, other Maui communities will follow the program.

The program entails weekly recycling pickups that would alternate between green waste and mixed recyclables, which would include paper, cans and bottles. Those items would be sorted at a processor. Regular trash collection would continue as usual.

New collection trucks wouldn’t need to be purchased as the same ones used for trash pickups would be used for recycling pickups.

South Maui has become a major beacon of sustainability projects, but you might still wonder why Maui Meadows was chosen for this recycling test run. The reason is because there are both rural and urban homes within that community. The rural homes would produce more green waste and the urban homes would produce more plastic, aluminum and glass items. Program managers will be able to get a good look at a wide spectrum of proportions in regular waste, green waste and recyclables. This will help them prepare for such variability in other communities throughout the island.

Hopefully the program will be both cost effective and good for the health of the island. If you are interested in keeping up to date with South Maui events or general info about what’s happening on the island, check back for our blog every Friday! As South Maui real estate specialists, we like to keep track of what is going on within the community. If you happen to be in the market for a Maui home or condo, let us know. You’ll find our contact information at the bottom of the page.