The state beverage container recycling rate climbed to 72 percent for the fiscal year that just ended, and a survey by the state Department of Health shows the number of people who recycle is also up.

The state Health Department also announced today it will not raise the nonrefundable beverage container fee. Under the state law that created the so-called "HI 5" recycling system, consumers are charged a five-cent refundable deposit and a nonrefundable one-cent container fee to cover the administrative costs of the program.

The law raises the nonrefundable fee to 1.5 cents for each container when the redemption rate exceeds 70 percent, but the Health Department director and the state auditor can waive the fee increase if they determine it is not needed.

The Health Department survey on the bottle bill found the program is viewed more positively than it was two years ago, but still showed mixed levels of satisfaction among consumers.

The greatest improvement cited by consumers was that they say they have "more choices," including more redemption centers to choose from, more hours of operation, and shorter wait times.

However, consumers' satisfaction with the accuracy of redemptions payments when containers are weighed declined.

"We are encouraged by the growing number of residents who are recycling, but there is still room to improve the recycling experience," said Karl Motoyama, of the DOH Office of Solid Waste Management.

"DOH continues to encourage recycling companies to train their employees on customer service relations, and to provide customers with options when calculating refund amounts. While some consumers prefer to have their containers counted to get back an exact refund, others prefer to have their loads weighed because it is quicker," he said in a written statement released today.

The consumer survey was conducted in April and polled 701 residents, including 400 on O'ahu and about 100 each on Maui, the Big Island and Kaua'i. Ward Research conducted the survey.