The Honolulu City Council voted to give curbside recycling another try. The council reversed a decision by Mayor Mufi Hannemann by voting unanimously to require the city to begin islandwide curbside recycling by July 2007.

Supporters of curbside recycling said it's urgent to begin as soon as possible. The full council elected to do it in stages.

By July 1, 2007, the city will have to begin picking up two of the following: glass containers, newspapers, plastic containers, green waste or food waste. By July 1, 2008, they will have to pick up two more, for a total of four.

Supporters of curbside pleaded for council members to do it now.

"We seem to be putting it off and putting it off. I thought there was an understanding this past week discussing the landfill that we have a crisis on this island," said Jeff Mikulina, of the Hawaii Sierra Club.

"People don't want to wait. I feel like our hands are tied right now. I feel like we just got shot down. I feel very, very disappointed," resident Betty Gearen said.

Councilman Charles Djou initially pushed to have the program begin next January.

"We have given the administration a little bit longer leash than I would have wanted, but nevertheless the underlying intention is still the same. We are going to do curbside recycling. It is a good, worthy program. It is just my hope we do it sooner rather than later," Djou said.

Spokesman Bill Brennan said Hannemann's administration is unlikely to veto the new curbside recycling plan. However, Environmental Services Director Eric Takamura said curbside is not an affordable way to deal with household trash. He said that if residents want it, they will have to pay higher property taxes or new fees.

The Hannemann administration favors the curbside pickup of garden trimmings as the most efficient answer to recycling. On Saturday, the mayor is expected to announce how his expanded green waste pickup program will work and when it will start.