Hawaiʻi officials want to encourage more recycling, and that could include changes to how the state recycles.
Over the last dozen years, Hawaiʻi has seen a downward trend in recycling numbers. In fiscal year 2012, 697 million containers were recycled in Hawaiʻi — about 77% of all the containers sold that year. In fiscal year 2024 that fell to 538 million containers, representing about 55% of what was sold. The state Department of Health said in 2025 that Hawaiʻi recycled 515 million containers.
In a recent state informational briefing lawmakers, experts and local officials discussed the possibility of the state using “reverse vending machines” in stores and “bag drop-off” locations where recyclables can be returned.
RVMs have been used in Hawaiʻi before, and there are state laws surrounding the machines, which look like normal vending machines but are used to deposit recyclable containers. There have been efforts at the state Legislature to buy and install more near redemption centers.
State officials said when RVMs were first used, they were criticized as not working well.
Lane Otsu, of the DOH’s Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch, said in the briefing that it’s not as simple as putting bottles in the machines.
“It takes time for the machine to actually read the container, so you couldn't throw more than one every few seconds. The machines fill up quickly, so they require an attendant there. It's not exactly a situation like an ATM situation where you don't have to have a person assigned to the machine,” Otsu said.
Other DOH officials said that improvements in technology since then may make the machines more viable now.
Currently, recycling and redemption centers are available for most residents, along with specific programs for apartment buildings, businesses and larger entities.
There were some concerns by lawmakers about the new recycling methods, as they will probably take up space in stores and possibly in business parking lots for drop-off locations.
The lost parking for the drop-off locations and possible upkeep for the machines inside stores could hurt businesses.
There are other ways that recycling can improve in the state.
Susan Collins, the president of the California-based nonprofit Container Recycling Institute, said increasing the redemption rate for recyclables, which is currently at 5 cents per container in Hawaiʻi, could also help.
“Something that we know about container deposit laws is that the incentive is a very powerful motivating force to get people to return their containers,” Collins said. “It, therefore, is logically true that a larger incentive has a larger effect. So it's not a surprise that the states that have a 10-cent deposit instead of a 5-cent deposit have some of the highest redemption rates in the country.”
