HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0482.317 2024-2026From: Alesha Makuakane
Sent: Tuesday, December 2, 2025 10:08 AM o 0
To: Council Testimony o z
Subject: Wailiea Kainoa - Support Bill 83
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Aloha County Council Members, nT
My name is Waileia Kainoa, and I am a zero waste youth advocate for Nlalama
aina compostables. We are a youth led group through Recycle Hawai'i and the
Kau global learning lab. Our main focus is to significantly reduce waste going into
our landfill, and we are in support of bill 83. Over the year and a half that Malama
'aina Compostables has been an organization, we have managed to achieve
many goals - some of which we did not think possible. Whether that'd be
diverting over 20 thousand pounds of food waste from going to the landfill via our
cafeteria waste diversion program or simply just being here presenting at this
county council hearing, spreading the word about our program and letting our
voices be heard.
Some of our accomplishments over the year and half has been utilizing an in -
vessel composting unit which turns food and BPI certified compostable products
into soil that can be used to grow food. We have Consulted on zero waste
events, been asked to present at the national recycling congress, met nena shew
a former EPA director, and met with officials from the Hawaii county of
environmental management where we continue leading the way by example on
how Hawai'i can break free from a liner economy and turn waste like
compostable products into valuable soil. We partnered with Hawai'i Energy for
their appliance trade up program and we also hosted a zero waste concert
featuring Kanaka Fyah. At these events we used BPI certified products to
significantly reduce waste generated at these events from going into the landfill.
If we do not use these products all of them would end up in the landfill. Thank
you for allowing me to testify on the important work we are doing.
Mahalo,
Waileia Kama
Wai' ohinu 96772
Me ke aloha, Comm.
Ref. To:
Ref. Date — L32
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Ulu Makuakane
Recycle Hawaii - EPA REO Grant Program Program Director
www.recyclehawaii.org