STATE SHORTCHANGES MAUI'S BEST-IN-STATE EFFORT

Maui, give yourself a pat on the back. You guys are great! Each county has its own glass recycling program. Based on data from July 1 through Dec. 31, Mauians recycled almost twice as much glass per person as any other county. We average almost three pounds per month per person. The Big Island is a distant second at a little over one and a half pounds. By the way, three pounds is about a six-pack. I know we can do even better.

The workings of government are somewhat curious at best. Do you know that even though we do the best glass recycling job in the state, we are paid the smallest amount of money per ton? If my recycling business were located on the Big Island, I would receive nearly twice the per-ton payment as I receive on Maui!

Your glass recycling program is paid for by the state. The state collects an advanced disposal fee from glass importers and passes the money along to the counties. The problem is the distribution mechanism. It is based on defacto population (i.e. residents plus visitors) and not on performance. That procedure needs to change.

Thomas D. Reed, president,

Aloha Glass Recycling