By Staff Reports
(Maui) – The Department of Environmental Management has announced that the Waiehu Recycling Center on Kahekili Highway at Maka‘ala Drive will be closed as of Monday, April 7, 2014, due to low levels of use and frequent illegal dumping at the site.
“The Waiehu dropbox has historically been under-utilized, and despite regular monitoring the site has been the victim of frequent dumping of items such as animal carcasses, used motor oil, batteries and appliances,” said DEM Director Kyle Ginoza. “These materials contaminate the environment when not properly disposed of or recycled, and cost tax dollars to clean up. It makes sense, both economically and environmentally, to ask the public to utilize one of the several other recycling centers in Central Maui.”
The County’s Recycling & Redemption Center off Wahine Pio Street (behind the UH-Maui Campus) is located less than three miles away from the Waiehu site. The dropbox recycling center is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m., with the Redemption Center open Wed. to Sun. 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Two other recycling centers also are located within three miles of the center and allow the public to redeem HI-5 beverage bottles and recycle residential materials: Maui Disposal’s Recycling & Redemption Center on Kanoa Street, open daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed 12-12:30 p.m. for lunch); and Aloha Recycling’s Recycling & Redemption Center, located at 75 Amala Place, open Mon. to Sat. 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
A temporary banner has been posted at the Waiehu center to notify the public of the closure next month; a permanent sign also will be posted to inform users of where to take material.
For recycling information, including details on how to properly recycle used motor oil, batteries and appliances, visit www.mauicounty.gov/recycle or call the Recycle Maui County Hotline at 270-7880.
