LIHUE — The Kauai County Council has approved the state’s first trash-collection rates aimed at encouraging people to throw away less.
New monthly fees will correspond to the size of trash carts that residents choose to use, The Garden Island newspaper reported.
Residential customers will pay a flat monthly fee of $6 for access to the county’s five refuse-transfer stations.
Those who want a 64-gallon trash cart for weekly trash pickup will pay an additional $4 fee. Those who want a 96-gallon cart for weekly pickup will pay an additional $12.
“I believe this bill is an important step forward for a more sustainable Kauai,” Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura said. “It will improve incentives for recycling and create the kind of change that we need in order to have a sustainable community.”
Councilman Mel Rapozo, who cast the lone dissenting vote against the new fees on Wednesday, said the changes are not happening in step with a program to help those residents who want to recycle more.
“We’re trying to do things piecemeal, and I don’t think that’s the proper way — the end result is that people will be paying more for their trash,” Rapozo said. “Some will go with a smaller can, but I just cannot support any more increases in fees.”
County Engineer Larry Dill said the new fees will generate about $3 million in revenue that will be used “to help us offset anticipated increases in the use of waste-diversion programs.” The previous fee system, by comparison, generated about $2.74 million.