When it comes to recycling their bottles and cans, Hawai'i residents may be settling into a habit of sorts.

Since the program began, the annual return rate has hovered just under 70 percent, which represents the proportion of beverage containers purchased in the state that are returned to recycling centers.

State officials, however, are keen on getting the number up to 80 percent, and are taking steps to get there.

Doing their part this week were Chika and Russell Risch of Saint Louis Heights, who brought three months' worth of glass and plastic bottles to a recycling center on Beretania Street. The couple said their decision to recycle means they have to give up quite a bit of room at their home.

Whether it's lack of storage space or other reasons, state officials say it's too early to say why the number of cans being recycled has stagnated, and even dropped somewhat.

"We really haven't had time to analyze the numbers," said Karl Motoyama, coordinator of the state Office of Solid Waste Management which runs the Deposit Beverage Container Program. "It's difficult to say."

From July 1 to Oct. 31, the first four months of the fiscal year, the state's consumers were turning in about 67 percent of their recyclable beverage containers, Motoyama said.

That partial figure is on par with the 68 percent redemption rate the state recorded during the entire previous fiscal year, Motoyama said. During the first four months of the last fiscal year, however, the redemption rate was 73 percent.

The actual number of cans and bottles processed during the four months was about 216 million, less than the 227 million brought in during that same period a year ago.

The redemption rate here is probably on par with the other 11 states with statewide redemption, Motoyama said. California, for instance, typically brings in about 60 to 70 percent, he said. In Michigan, where the fee is 10 cents per bottle, the redemption rate is about 95 percent.

From a consumer standpoint, the fact the redemption rate is not increasing may actually seem like a good thing. According to the bottle law, the state must increase the per-container deposit from 6 cents to 6.5 cents following a year in which 70 percent or more of containers is redeemed.

Consumers would continue to get 5 cents back for each container taken to a recycler, even if the fee were to increase.

Motoyama, however, said the state's goal is get the recycling rate to 80 percent.

One proposal to achieve that goal would be to increase to 200 the maximum number of containers that must be hand-counted at redemption centers. Currently, the maximum is 50.

Some consumers have complained that they are being shortchanged because their loads are not hand-counted, but weighed.

"This would probably increase consumer satisfaction," Motoyama said. The proposal must go through the administrative rule process, which would include public hearings, he said.

The department also is in the process of re-evaluating the "containers-per-pound" system.

Data continues to be collected, Motoyama said, noting that the state has enlisted the help of an expert who helped determine the containers-per-pound rates in California.

Both changes are expected to be implemented in the next several months.

Terry Telfer, president of Reynolds Recycling, said he's pleased with the redemption rates so far, noting that Hawai'i was recycling 28 percent of its containers before the law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2005.

"I think, as with anything, it just takes time," Telfer said. "If you look at where we were and what we've done, it's really pretty phenomenal."

He noted that his business, which began in 1988, has expanded to 32 sites on four islands and has gone from 32 employees to 147 in two years.

Telfer said he supports increasing the containers-per-pound rate but opposes a hand count for up to 200 containers.

"We just think that's too many containers to count," he said.

Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club's Hawai'i chapter, said he believes allowing for a hand count of up to 200 containers and increasing the container-per-pound rate would boost consumer confidence in the system.

What also would increase the redemption rate would be requiring grocers to redeem the bottles and cans, Mikulina said, noting that such a law is in place in the 10 other states with bottle redemption programs.

"The system needs to be changed to make things more convenient for recyclers," Mikulina said. "We think (the number of containers being redeemed) would go somewhat higher."

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.