Youth from Hawaii and Louisiana Unite to Tackle Plastic Pollution
When negotiators met to finalize the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty in mid-August, the desperate need to stem the growth of toxic plastic pollution rested on the promise that a binding agreement could finally curb the petrochemical industry’s destruction. But as the talks collapsed under the weight of corporate lobbying, youth movements around the world felt what many already...
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After the Ban: Making Single-Use Plastic Restrictions Work for Everyone on Hawaiʻi Island – Copy
Hawaiʻi Island is no stranger to bold environmental commitments. From protecting the coral reefs of Puako to defending the sacred summit of Maunakea, our community has long understood that the land and ocean are not resources to be used carelessly — they are relationships to be honored. So when conversations about banning single-use plastics on the Big Island gain momentum, they do...
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Leave It Better Than You Found It: Zero Waste Events and What Hilo’s 2026 Hoʻolaulea Proved Is Possible
There is something quietly radical about throwing a party and leaving the place cleaner than you found it. For most of its history, the large community festival has been accepted as an inherently wasteful event. Thousands of people, single-use everything, mountains of trash at the end. It was just the cost of gathering. Recycle Hawaiʻi doesn’t accept that premise — and the 2026...
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Breaking Down Cardboard: Why This Overlooked Material Is a Cornerstone of Hawaiʻi Island’s Composting Future
When people picture composting, they often picture food scraps — banana peels, coffee grounds, vegetable trimmings. What they picture less often is cardboard. But for Hawaiʻi Island’s growing network of composting operations, cardboard isn’t an afterthought. It’s essential infrastructure. From the commercial compost operations that process restaurant and grocery...
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