n 1980 Reynolds Metals honored a commitment they made to build a recycling center wherever there was a Reynolds can manufacturing facility. What many people do not realize is that Hawaii’s recycling plant was opened ahead of schedule thanks to the efforts of a prominent leader in Hawaii’s beverage industry and a tireless environmental advocate who helped make Hawaii a cleaner and greener place.

The late Ed Doty, President of Eagle Distributors, and the late Betty Crocker, head the Outdoor Circle, shared a vision of a cleaner Hawaii and convinced Reynolds Metals that their recycling operations were needed immediately.

In 1981, Reynolds Metals opened up its Halawa processing plant with just a handful of employees accepting various forms of aluminum. In 1997, Tomra purchased Reynolds Metals and due to shifts in the industry, sold the company to local investors in 2002. Over the course of its history, Reynolds has recycled over 3 billion aluminum cans and has paid out over $3 million to Hawaii schools for their recycling efforts.

Now in its 34th year, Reynolds has over 120 employees. Since the January 2005 start of the beverage container deposit program, Reynolds has been redeeming aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles, steel and bi-metal cans at the State’s largest certified redemption center network.  Currently we are operating at 40 locations statewide, and process over one million transactions a year.

The next quarter century is looking bright for Reynolds Recycling, with plans underway to expand recycling services to additional sites statewide. In 2015 we are working to open more new sites on Oahu.   Reynolds Recycling is committed to protecting Hawaii’s future by recycling today, and remains invested in the community that opened its arms to recycling so many years ago.