08/20/24 City addresses missed trash, recycling collection routes

City addresses missed trash, recycling collection routes

HONOLULU - The City and County of Honolulu's Department of Envir­onmental Services (ENV) wishes to inform residents in areas between Foster Village and Palolo two and one-half collection routes of gray (trash) and four collection routes of blue (recyclables) carts were not picked up Monday and Tuesday due to an ongoing shortage of available collection trucks.

Refuse crews are working diligently to pick up the missed carts, but delayed collections could continue through the rest of this week. Residents are kindly reminded to leave their carts curbside until they have been serviced.

ENV asks for the public's understanding as the department quickly work to address this issue.

Earlier this year, ENV outlined ongoing supply chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the production of new refuse trucks and the availability of replacement parts nationwide. Of the 73 trucks ordered over the past five fiscal years, ENV received only 19. ENV received two new trucks this month, but before that had not received new trucks since November 2020. ENV expects to receive nine more trucks by the end of 2024.

The delay in delivery of new trucks means ENV must keep its current trucks in use longer than usual. Consequently, these older trucks are more prone to breakdowns and require more maintenance than newer models.

Residents may contact the ENV's Refuse Division at (808) 768-3200 with any questions or concerns. Residents may also check the ENV website for more information and how to report missed collections.

─ PAU ─