FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETuesday, April 30, 2019Markus Owens, ENV PIO: (808) 768-3454

Bulky item pilot project set to begin from Foster Village to Hawai‘i Kai

Pilot project map

HONOLULU – Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced today the debut of a curbside bulky item collection pilot project for metro Honolulu. Single-family and multi-family residents from Foster Village to Hawai‘i Kai, including Waikīkī, will transition from monthly scheduled bulky item collection to an appointment-based program startingTo download b-roll and interviews about this new pilot project, please click on the following link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1S8H7xfikeFdiQkybrdBVz2eee5-0sEZ9 “An appointment-based system will ultimately be more manageable and efficient for the city as a whole,” said Mayor Caldwell. “This targeted approach will reduce driving distances, which decreases fuel consumption and emissions, ultimately saving us time and money while also being more environmentally friendly.”More than 70,000 single-family homes and multi-unit residential buildings were sent mailers informing them of the new procedures in late April (note attachments).The current once-a-month bulky item collection schedules will be suspended during the pilot project for Sectors 1 through 8 and all residents living in these neighborhoods must schedule an appointment with the Department of Environmental Services (ENV) at www.opala.org . The website will begin accepting the scheduling of online appointmentsResidents who fall under the pilot project, but are unable to schedule an online appointment will be instructed to call ENV during normal business hours. When placing a phone call to ENV, an employee will schedule a bulky item appointment for the resident through www.opala.org . All scheduled appointments for bulky item pickup will be on a specific date, so residents taking part in the pilot project will still need to place their discarded items curbside. Please do not go online or call to schedule an appointment until“We believe this pilot will help address the 80 percent uptick in bulky item tonnage since 2008 by assisting us in better managing bulky waste, to be more organized during pick-ups, and encouraging residents to consider the reuse of items they no longer need before disposal,” said Lori Kahikina, ENV director. “As the pilot progresses, we’ll analyze the metrics and feedback to see where improvements can be made.”Single-family homes may schedule up to five (5) bulky items per appointment, while multi-unit residential buildings may schedule up to twenty (20) bulky items per appointment. For multi-unit residential buildings, it is important to note that the AOAOs, property managers and/or the residential managers are required to consolidate bulky item collection appointments for their tenants and store these items onsite, in holding areas, between collection appointments.The rest of O‘ahu will remain on the current bulky item monthly collection schedules.

—PAU—