AHUKINI — The blustery wind and showers hitting the Kaua‘i Resource Center on Friday did little to slow traffic of contributors to The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) donation event.
“The line has been like this from the start,” said Project Manager Shantelle Rego. “We must have processed about 250 cars, and we have four more hours to go. The ARC team already filled up three of the Hi-Top, 40-foot shipping containers.”
Each of the containers can hold more than 7,000 pounds of merchandise, which equates to more than 21,000 pounds that, if not contributed to the ARC program, would eventually end up in the landfill.
The ARC team greeted the long line of cars that snaked onto the resource center entrance driveway, which is shared by patrons exiting the Lihu‘e Refuse Transfer Station. The team efficiently unloaded the vehicle’s contents at the direction of each motorist in accordance with the policy requesting that contributors remain in their vehicle for safety due to heavy equipment in the area.
A check midday on Friday revealed that traffic to the ARC donation event was over the expected amount of about 100 cars. The intake process was also ahead of expectations, as the third shipping container was already filled and sealed for shipment.
Normally, crews would still be accepting donated material to fill the container.
David Chung, the ARC team leader, said the most important thing the drivers want to know is when the team will be back.
The next ARC donation event will be held on March 1 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kaua‘i Resource Center.
“February is a short month,” Chung said. “We actually get here on Feb. 28, but the actual collection will happen on March 1.”
During the donation event, residents, businesses, and other organizations can bring in unwanted or unneeded items for reuse. These can include clothing, small furniture, children’s toys, books and shoes.
What is not accepted include e-waste, chemicals, appliances or broken items.
The county’s Department of Public Works encourages residents and groups with items to check with their local thrift stores to see if the thrift stores are capable of taking the donations before bringing them to the ARC donation event.
For more information about general recycling or reuse, visit www.kauai.gov/recycling, or www.kauai.gov/reuse, or call 808-241-4841.
