Recycling: A community effort

LIHU’E — If you thought recycling was not fun, you haven’t talked to the 44 students from the Lihu’e Hongwanji Preschool who visited the Kaua’i Resource Center on Friday for a field trip to learn more about recycling.

Allison Fraley, the county’s recycling coordinator, greeted the group that eagerly bounded off the bus loaded with their plastic and paper shopping bags filled with various recycleable items.

Fraley was impressed with the show of hands as she asked a group of 4-year-olds about their participation in recycling.

“We have a can bucket,” one young voice piped. “We save plastics,” chirped another voice amidst the sea of hands that eagerly waved in response to Fraley’s question.

Armed with their inventory of recycleables, there was no lack of enthusiasm as the students made deposits at each respective bin, their enthusiasm contagious to the adult chaperones in the group.

The tour included an explanation of the various criteria for recycling each of the items – mixed paper, white paper, newsprint, magazines, aluminum cans, plastic shopping bags, and plastic containers, and the students were even treated to a live unloading of wooden pallets by the staff of the Kaua’i Resource Center as a Papaya’s truck waited to be unloaded.

Following the tour, some of the adults were overheard saying how they learned something while shepherding the youngsters who were filled with enthusiasm as they lost little time getting actively involved in depositing the various recycleables in their respective bins.

Fraley noted that recycling numbers are up from the approximately 60 tons collected each month, and promises more items for 2004.

Fraley said they are currently wrapping up negotiations for plastics collection at the Ahukini Road facility, and will keep the public apprised on the startup date of that program.