International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

Table 16-3: Number of Debris Found During Cleanup
Beverage Beverage Container
Container
Type Type
Type
324
29/09/09
2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2007
2007
Glass Bottles 7,687 11,362 7,194 5,759 5,008
Plastic Bottles 5,246 5,215 3,824 4,799 2,965
Metal Cans 4,946 6,894 3,518 3,959 2,932
Total Total Total
17,879 23,471 23,471 14,430 14,430 14,517 14,517 10,905
10,905
Source: State Of Hawaii Department Of Health (2008) Pursuant To Sections 342g-102.5(H), 342g-
114.5(B), And 342g-123, Hawaii Revised Statutes, Requiring The Department Of Health To Give A
Report On The Activities Of The Deposit Beverage Container Program, Report To The Twenty-Fifth
Legislature State Of Hawaii 2009, November 2008
Table 16-4: Percentage of Total Debris Collected During Cleanup
Beverage Beverage Bottles Bottles & & & Cans Cans 2003 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007
2007
Glass, Glass, Glass, Metal, Metal, & & Plastic Plastic 15.9% 14.5% 12.3% 8.7% 6.7%
Source: State Of Hawaii Department Of Health (2008) Pursuant To Sections 342g-102.5(H), 342g-
114.5(B), And 342g-123, Hawaii Revised Statutes, Requiring The Department Of Health To Give A
Report On The Activities Of The Deposit Beverage Container Program, Report To The Twenty-Fifth
Legislature State Of Hawaii 2009, November 2008
The report notes:
While there appears to be a downward trend in the number of bottles and
cans found at beaches, beverage containers, along with associated caps and
lids, continue to be a large portion of beach litter. This is why it is important to
continue to place a deposit on beverage containers to decrease the
temptation to litter and increase the incentive to recycle.
A somewhat interesting feature of the Hawaii data is that they show that the problem
is not simply land related. Indeed, beverage containers appear to be (relatively) more
problematic in underwater cleanups (see Table 16-5).
Regarding plastics in particular, a UNEP report notes the prevalence of plastic bottles,
caps and bags among the key forms of marine litter giving rise to increasingly serious
problems at sea. Evidently, in the marine environment, it is the longevity and potential
Activities Of The Deposit Beverage Container Program, Report To The Twenty-Fifth Legislature State Of
Hawaii 2009, November 2008.