The Maui Recycling Group (MRG) Construction Site Recycling Project was initiated in early 1998. The primary impetus for development of this project was a series of workshops on Construction and Demolition Waste Management sponsored by the State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Office of Solid Waste Management, and by the County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Recycling Section.

One of the most meaningful findings of these workshops was the fact that Hawaii’s developers, contractors, and others in the building trades believed that on-site recycling programs would be costly and difficult to implement. Time and time again this belief would be expressed and, once expressed, would stifle further investigation of the issue. All this despite the fact that there were ample data from other areas in the US that construction site recycling was workable, cost-effective, and an important element in any community’s landfill diversion program.

With this in mind MRG determined that a demonstration project should be undertaken. After consultations with personnel from the County of Maui Department of Public Works and Smith Development, a Maui housing developer, a County grant application was filed. The resulting contract included funds to reimburse the developer and contractor for out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of implementing on-site source separation programs.

With funding for the project established Smith Development agreed to host the development at its Liholani Golf Village development. Located adjacent to the Pukalani Golf Course, this project was to consist of 26 housing units on a site of 3.4 acres. The contractor on the project was Dilloway Construction Company of Wailuku.

At this point a series of meetings between MRG, Smith and Dilloway focused on waste stream analysis; selecting the materials that would be appropriate for diversion; initiating contacts with Maui’s commercial haulers; and, preparation of a Request for Bids, submitted to all haulers, for refuse and recyclables hauling services.

The next task was to design the on-site source separation systems. The result of this effort was a decision to utilize 6 yard receptacles for deposit of the three commodities which were to be recycled -- drywall, cardboard and plastic. These receptacles were to be hauled, on demand, to the recycling facilities on the Island which were able to accept the materials.

When construction of the housing units began in September 1998 all elements were in place. Initial meetings with sub-contractors and trades introduced the program and communicated the necessary steps and changes in normal practices to implement the recycling program. The program was enthusiastically accepted and endorsed. As construction progressed very few problems were reported and it soon became clear that there were virtually no negative effects on production and performance as a result of integrating the on-site source separation programs.

The construction phase continued until April 1999. Thanks to careful record-keeping and follow-up by all the partners involved in the project one of the primary goals – development of reliable data on the financial and operational impacts of the program – was accomplished.

The total amount of drywall diverted was 18 tons. This material was utilized by one of Maui’s commercial compost companies as a valuable addition to their feed stock The total amount of plastic diverted was 1,000 pounds. This material was delivered directly to Aloha Plastic Recycling in Kahului to be used in manufacturing new value added products. The total amount of cardboard diverted was approximately 2 tons. This material was stockpiled, along with cardboard collected from other sources, and will be marketed on the commodity market. The total amount of treated lumber diverted was 5 tons. This material was made available to the public on a "Giveaway" day. Over 150 individuals attended this event.

As a result of this program the amount of material disposed of in Maui County landfills from this project was reduced by 35% vs. the original estimate. The total cost of trash/recycling hauling services was 20% less than the original bid. Thus the project not only diverted significant amounts of material from landfill disposal, but also demonstrated that on-site source separation on a construction site actually reduced costs.