Hawaii Metal Recycling Pilot Project Begins

Operators of the city of Honolulu’s landfill will begin a two-month pilot project to recover metal from the waste stream as part of the city’s efforts to expand recycling and stretch the life of the landfill.

The 60-day project begins the first week of April. Waste Management Hawaii, which operates the city landfill under contract, will use an electromagnet to remove ferrous metals from the incoming solid waste. The metal will be shipped to a Schnitzer Steel facility in the city for recycling.

"If this pilot project works the way we expect, this will become a permanent program," said Mayor Mufi Hannemann. "Not only will it save rapidly dwindling space in our only municipal landfill, but it will also improve our efforts to move Oahu toward the 21st Century Ahupua‘a concept of sustainability. We will be recovering discarded metal for reuse, rather than simply burying it."

After the 60-day pilot project ends, Waste Management Hawaii and the City Department of Environmental Services will evaluate the results.