Maui Sierra Club in concert with Sustainable Living Institute and Maui Recycling Group presented two symposia on trash disposal methods for Maui
The first panel featured Jeff Stark, Timonie Hood, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Zero Waste & Green Building coordinator for Region 9 (Pacific Southwest), Sustainable Living Institute of Maui (SLIM) Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Chirico and Kyle Ginoza, director of Environmental Management for Maui County and addressed recycling.
According to Dr. Chirico “On Maui, we generate 9 pounds of waste per person, per day–over twice the national average–largely due to tourism. They come here, they buy things, the goods often leave, but the packaging stays here.” Rather than disposing of trash, she urged Maui to produce less trash by changing our view of consumption.
Kyle Ginoza indicated that the County contracted with Anageria Services Inc. to turn Maui trash into energy pellets with the idea of selling them to HC&S as a coal replacement. Since the pellets would burn with toxic byproducts, concern was expressed as to HC&S’s ability and willingness to implement pollution control methods as their existing methods fall far short of ideal. It was unclear whether HC&S was willing to buy the pellets.
In the second Talking Trash Panel, Mr. Ginoza indicated that the County had modified its plan to place an emphasis on recycling by striving for 85%, food and other organic waste being digested into gas and contaminated remainder either buried or turned into energy pellets.