Since 1992 — with roots going back to grassroots organizing in 1987 — Recycle Hawaiʻi has been at the forefront of nearly every major waste diversion effort in the State of Hawaiʻi, helping build the policies, programs, and infrastructure that define the islands’ approach to sustainability.
Recycle Hawaiʻi was born out of a grassroots commitment to protecting Hawaiʻi Island’s natural environment from the growing crisis of waste. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1992, the organization grew from community-level recycling advocacy into one of the most influential voices in solid waste policy and diversion across the Hawaiian Islands.
Over more than three decades, Recycle Hawaiʻi has participated in shaping Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) Plans at both the state and county level — the foundational planning documents that guide how Hawaiʻi manages, reduces, and diverts its waste streams. The organization has consistently shown up wherever the decisions about Hawaiʻi’s waste future were being made: in testimony at public hearings, in collaboration with county departments, and in partnership with state agencies.
Recycle Hawaiʻi pioneered the Transfer Station Reuse Center model — now replicated across eight sites island-wide — and developed programs in HI-5 redemption, green waste and mulching, used motor oil collection, e-waste diversion, and cardboard recovery. The organization also helped Hawaiʻi County adopt its Zero Waste Plan and has been instrumental in the advocacy that produced landmark local legislation, including the 2014 Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance, the 2017 Polystyrene Foam Food Container Ordinance, and the 2025 passage of Bill 83.
- Founded 1992 (grassroots roots to 1987) — over 35 years of environmental leadership on Hawaiʻi Island
- Participated in Integrated Solid Waste Management planning processes at both the state and county level, helping shape Hawaiʻi’s waste management priorities
- Pioneered the Transfer Station Reuse Center model — now operated at 8 sites across Hawaiʻi Island, diverting hundreds of tons of reusable goods from the landfill
- Contributed to landmark legislation including the plastic bag ban (2014), polystyrene ordinance (2017), and Bill 83 (2025)
- Proved the value of reuse centers at county transfer stations, with 355 tons of goods diverted from the landfill in fiscal year 2016–17 alone
- Helped Hawaiʻi County adopt its Zero Waste Plan — a vision that continues to guide local policy
Recycle Hawaiʻi’s statewide leadership legacy is not the result of any single program or policy win — it is the product of decades of persistent, community-centered work. By consistently showing up in the places where decisions get made — in County Council chambers, in state planning processes, in schools and at transfer stations — Recycle Hawaiʻi has helped build the waste diversion infrastructure, culture, and policy framework that Hawaiʻi Island depends on today. That legacy now guides our vision for the next generation of Zero Waste leadership.
Support Recycle Hawaiʻi’s ongoing mission to lead waste diversion across the islands.
