State officials reported an 85 percent beverage container redemption rate for September — the highest monthly rate since the Jan. 1 start of people being able to get back their nickel deposits.

But the program could be even more successful if the state would require stores that sell the beverages to accept the empty containers for redemption, supporters of such a proposal said.

The number of containers redeemed in September exceeded 50 million, and pushed the overall redemption rate for the year to date to 59 percent, said Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo. She said 391 million containers were turned in for recycling since the Jan. 1 opening of redemption centers.

"It is really good that recycling rates are up," Okubo said.

She said that the bottle law has gathered $15.8 million in reserves, which is higher than expected. She added that the state will re-evaluate the program in August 2006, including a look at the reserve fund.

State Rep. Brian Schatz and the Sierra Club Hawai'i Chapter yesterday proposed requiring grocery stores and other retailers to accept containers at the stores for redemption as a way to make recycling easier and reduce the number of containers going in the trash.

Schatz, D-25th (Makiki, Tantalus), said Hawai'i is the only state of 10 with a bottle law that does not require retailers to "take them back."

Sierra Club director Jeff Mikulina said the bottle law so far has been successful, with the recycling rate tripling since it first took effect Jan. 1.

"But we can do better. It is time that our grocery stores help to close the loop on recycling," Mikulina said.

Schatz called the proposed change to the law a simple fix with potential to eliminate the inconvenience of long lines at recycling centers.

Even though the proposal was made before, Schatz said he thinks it has a better chance now because people have seen how the law works and have "had the experience of waiting in line for 25 minutes for $9 worth of refund."

Mikulina said he was disappointed that more retailers have not tapped a state rebate fund that would help retailers pay for reverse vending machines through rebates that range from $30,000 to $90,000.

If retailers aren't volunteering to take on more responsibility for recycling, Mikulina said, it appears necessary to require them to do so.

Foodland Supermarkets spokeswoman Sheryl Toda said the retailer had not yet reviewed the new proposal.

But she said the chain has been offering recycling through a partnership with Rolloffs Hawaii and their mobile redemption centers on different days and at different store locations.

Customers redeem vouchers for cash or store credit.

"We do support the state's efforts to encourage recycling in Hawai'i and have been doing this since May," Toda said.

Schatz plans to introduce the proposal in the upcoming Legislature, which begins in January.

Bruce Iverson, Reynolds Recycling market development manager, said he supports any move that encourages more retailers to get involved.

Reynolds is the largest bottle and can recycler in the state. Iverson said the plan does have potential to split up some of the recycling business but it would also provide more locations and longer hours to recycle.

"We're not afraid of competition," he said.

Iverson said some retailers have inquired about purchasing reverse vending machines but have not done so.

Schatz said the law would also help to reduce the amount that has built up from the state program in uncollected deposits.

The proposed measure would apply only to stores larger than 5,000 square feet, or with sales over a certain threshold, which would exempt most "mom and pop" stores, Schatz said.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.