There is a version of environmental work that stays close to home — the cleanup, the compost bin, the reusable bag. That work matters. But without policy change, it will always be outpaced by the systems that produce waste faster than any community effort can absorb it.
This is why Recycle Hawaiʻi invests in advocacy and policy work. Not because we believe legislation solves everything — it doesn’t — but because the rules that govern how materials are produced, used, and discarded in Hawaiʻi ultimately determine how much room our community-level work has to succeed.
The Policy Landscape That Shapes Our Work
Hawaiʻi has made meaningful strides in waste policy — the statewide plastic bag ban, HI-5 deposit legislation, and various county-level packaging restrictions have all moved the needle. But our waste diversion rate has stagnated, landfills across the state are approaching capacity, and the infrastructure needed to process compostable materials at scale remains underdeveloped.
The policy gaps are not small. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) — the principle that the companies that create packaging should bear responsibility for its end of life — has been adopted by several mainland states and is gaining momentum in Hawaiʻi, but implementation requires sustained advocacy. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) global plastics treaty process represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape plastic production at its source. And local measures like Bill 83 require active community engagement to move from passage to meaningful implementation.
What Advocacy Looks Like in Practice
For Recycle Hawaiʻi, advocacy is not abstract. It looks like:
- Written and oral testimony submitted to Hawaiʻi County Council and the State Legislature on waste-related bills
- Coalition building with statewide organizations aligned on Zero Waste and Sustainable Materials Management principles
- Data collection and reporting that gives policymakers locally-specific evidence — not just national averages — to work with
- Public education campaigns that help community members understand how policy affects their daily lives and what they can do about it
- Participation in state and national conversations — including INC treaty negotiations — that shape the regulatory environment upstream
Bill 83: A Case Study in Why Implementation Matters
Policy passage is the beginning, not the end. Bill 83 — [NOTE FOR JC/SD: please add specific bill description and status here] — represents the kind of measure that can shift material flows and infrastructure investment on Hawaiʻi Island. But its impact depends entirely on implementation: clear timelines, enforcement mechanisms, public education, and coordination between county agencies and the waste management sector.
Recycle Hawaiʻi is actively engaged in ensuring that implementation lives up to the promise of the legislation. That means we’re at the table when agencies are developing rules, we’re in the community when residents need to understand what’s changing, and we’re tracking outcomes so we can report back on what’s working and what needs adjustment.
Why It Matters for the Planet — and the People
Environmental policy is not a separate category from social equity. The communities that suffer most from inadequate waste infrastructure and plastic pollution are consistently the communities with the least political power. In Hawaiʻi, that means Native Hawaiian communities with deep cultural and spiritual connections to the ʻāina that plastic pollution desecrates. It means agricultural communities whose soil and water are compromised by inadequate waste management. It means fishing families whose ocean — and livelihood — absorbs the consequences of upstream decisions.
When Recycle Hawaiʻi advocates for policy change, we are advocating for those communities. We are asserting that the people most affected by waste policy deserve a voice in shaping it — and that decisions made in committee rooms in Honolulu and Washington, D.C. have very real consequences on the shores of Hilo and the valleys of Kaʻū.
How You Can Engage
- Follow Recycle Hawaiʻi on social media for action alerts when testimony opportunities arise
- Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about legislation affecting waste and materials management in Hawaiʻi
- Attend county council meetings or submit written testimony — your voice as a constituent carries real weight
- Share our policy content with your networks, especially those who may not follow environmental news closely
Policy change is slow. It requires persistence, relationships, and an unflinching commitment to showing up even when the outcome is uncertain. Recycle Hawaiʻi is built for that kind of work — and we’re grateful for every community member who joins us in it.
