News Release – DOH Deposit Beverage Container Program to Update Segregated Rates

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

KA ʻOIHANA OLAKINO

KENNETH S. FINK, MD, MGA, MPH

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

DOH DEPOSIT BEVERAGE CONTAINER PROGRAM TO UPDATE SEGREGATED RATES

26-122

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 25, 2026

HONOLULU - The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) Deposit Beverage Container Program is revising its segregated rates, which will take effect on Oct. 1, 2026.

Segregated rates are used when redeeming deposit beverage containers by weight, to convert the container weight into an equivalent container count. The rates represent the average number of containers per pound by material type including plastic, glass, aluminum and bi-metal. Segregated rates are periodically updated because beverage container sizes and weights change over time.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2026, all certified redemption centers are required to use the revised segregated rates when redeeming containers by weight.

The most significant change is the elimination of two different plastic rates and the adoption of a single rate for plastic. The revised rate represents the average weight of a load of mixed-size plastic containers.

This change is based on a segregated rate study conducted by Cascadia Consulting Group that counted and weighed by hand, a random sample of more than 145,000 individual HI-5 containers at certified redemption centers across the state.

Consumers may request that the redemption center operator count deposit beverage containers. If asked, redemption center operators must count loads of up to 200 containers. Consumers with larger loads may ask the redemption center operator if they are willing to count larger loads during a less busy part of the day. Redemption center operators may count loads larger than 200 containers at their discretion.

Click here to view a handout on the revised segregated rates.

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