The office shall:

(1) Promote the development of coordinated statewide solid waste management;

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-14

  • Bioconversion: means the processing of the organic fraction of the waste stream through biological or chemical means to perform composting or generate products including, but not limited to, fertilizers, feeds, methane, alcohols, tars, and other products. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
  • Composting: means a process in which organic solid wastes, such as biosolids (sewage sludge), green or yard waste materials, manures, and non-treated wood chips and shavings, are biologically decomposed and stabilized under controlled conditions to produce a stable humus-like mulch or soil amendment. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
  • county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
  • Department: means the department of health. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
  • Disposal: means the management of solid waste through incineration or landfilling at permitted solid waste facilities. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
  • Office: means the office of solid waste management in the department of health. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
  • Processing: means any technology used for the purpose of reducing the volume or weight, or both, of solid wastes, or any technology used to convert part or all of solid wastes for reuse. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
  • Program: means the particular combination of waste management methods selected by each county and designed to achieve the objectives of the state and county integrated solid waste management plans. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
  • Recycling: means the collection, separation, recovery, and sale or reuse of secondary resources that would otherwise be disposed of as municipal solid waste, and is an integral part of a manufacturing process aimed at producing a marketable product made of postconsumer material. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
  • Solid waste management: means the entire process, or any part thereof, of storage, collection, transportation, transfer, processing, and disposal of solid wastes by any person engaging in these processes. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
  • Source reduction: means the design, manufacture, and use of materials to:

    (1) Minimize the quantity or toxicity, or both, of the waste produced; and

    (2) Reduce the creation of waste either by redesigning products or by otherwise changing societal patterns of consumption, use, or waste generation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1

  • Waste evaluation: means a review of an establishment's disposal practices to assess how those practices can be improved to reduce waste or recover postconsumer materials. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 342G-1
(2) Identify and monitor environmental and public health issues relating to solid waste management;
(3) Promote source reduction, recycling, and bioconversion, including home composting, through the provision of a comprehensive, innovative, and effective statewide public education and awareness program concerning the value of source reduction and recycling, and the way the public can participate in these areas;
(4) Comply with the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 United States Code § 6901 et seq.) and any other federal law heretofore or hereafter enacted affecting solid waste;
(5) Seek compliance with sections 226-18, 226-52, and 226-103;
(6) Assess the feasibility of employing disposal fees, including fees at the point of introduction or sale of any product that would require eventual disposition as solid waste, as possible funding sources for waste management activities;
(7) Coordinate with the department of land and natural resources to incorporate solid waste management and processing concerns in the department of land and natural resources’ land use planning and development efforts;
(8) Coordinate the bioconversion efforts of appropriate agency and county activities, including the provision of technical assistance and the evaluation of bioconversion programs;
(9) Provide waste evaluation services and assistance in developing paper recycling and other materials programs to both the public and private sector, where feasible;
(10) Promote the use of enterprise zones in each county to support source reduction, recycling, and bioconversion-type businesses;
(11) Create and maintain a database to assess the composition of the State’s waste stream. If feasible, this database shall contain the information necessary to generate the office’s annual report;
(12) Identify and apply for appropriate federal funds to support the programs and activities authorized by this chapter; and
(13) Cooperate with appropriate federal, state, and county agencies in carrying out the office’s responsibilities under this chapter.