MAUI'S FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS

There are all kinds of ways to deal with garbage.  We can bury it, burn it, compost it, recycle it, or reduce it.  Each one of us chooses the method we feel is right.  It's a personal decision.

My husband and I recently chose to recycle and compost as much as we can of the 150 pounds of trash we generate a month.  We recycle 80 pounds, compost 65, and landfill 5.  It takes less than 10 minutes a day to accomplish this.

The majority of residents on Maui Choose to bury their trash.  Maui sends approximately 384 tons of garbage a day to its central landfill in Pu'unene.

Oahu has a bigger problem.  The majority of their residents also choose to "throw away" all of their trash.  They generate 4,303 tons per day, 1,319 of which are recycled.  The remaining 2,659 tons is split between the landfill and H-Power, their incinerator.

H-Power was built to take the pressure off Oahu's landfills.  Garbage tipping fees doubled to cover the cost of the plant.  In return, H-Power supplies 7% of the island's energy needs.  Unfortunately, it also destroys resources and produces dioxin and other toxins.

Resources that we bury and/or burn are gone forever.  Recycling gives those resources another chance while saving energy.  Composting saves landfill space and adds nutrients to our soil.  It’s up to each and every one of us which way we want to go.  We can follow in Oahu’s footsteps or begin changing our habits now.

Camille Armantrout