HomeMy WebLinkAboutVII.2.1.ii - DEM_COH_04_Build Back Better -Phase-2_Final _13 ptPage 1 of 12
SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE EXCHANGE, MANAGEMENT,
AND EDUCATION ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND
SECTION 1: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE OF WORK
Section 1a: Executive Summary
The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) at the County of Hawaiʻi
(County) is responsible for solid waste disposal, landfill diversion programs, which
includes recycling, amongst other responsibilities. Hawaiʻi Island has one landfill for the
entire island (4,028 sq. mi.) with a projected life expectancy of around 30 more years. To
bolster waste valorization, increase life expectancy of the landfill, and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, the County and partners seek to divest from a linear -waste
approach to a closed-loop production/consumption system.
With a growing call to create significant structural changes, the County needs to
prioritize data aggregation to determine outlets for waste diversion. At a minimum, the
County recognizes thirty percent of organic materials end up in the landfill. In direct
support with the Hawaiʻi Agricultural Cluster1 and partners, the County’s priority is to
achieve Strategic Sustainable Materials Management (SSMM)2 and construct
Sustainable Resource Districts (SRDs)3 near agricultural hotspots and rural communities
to process organic waste and divert materials for reuse. The outcomes of the project are
to add value to the agricultural chain by generating a market for locally produced soil
amendments and other recycled materials/products while at the same time bolstering
workforce development in the green job sector.
1 In the Full Overarching Narrative, Agricultural Cluster is defined as a regional economic cluster centered on the
agricultural economy.
2 EPA Definition of Strategic Sustainable Materials Management https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-materials-
management-basics#Whatis
3 Sustainable Resource Districts (SRDs) are defined as geographical area which captures and sorts of reuse materials
while linking technologies to locally produced soil amendments.
2
Section 1b: Scope of Work
DEM proposes catalyzing the creation of a closed-loop production/consumption system
on Hawaiʻi Island. Over a 48-month period, the proposed projects, discussed below,
address systemic barriers to waste diversion, enact foundational changes to the
traditional linear waste management sector, bolster the agricultural value chain to
increase long-term resilience, increase workforce development in the green jobs, and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing carbon sequestration. 1. To address
the gap in aggregated data on landfill diversion, the County proposes establishing a
Landfill Diversion (LD) Data Program, developed by the LD Data Manager. The last
waste composition study was produced in 2009.4 The County needs aggregated data on
waste diversion, what and how much diversion (e.g., lbs.), where and how to divert
materials, and identifying the best course of action for SSMM. This project’s purpose is
to create a strategic asset aggregated dataset on materials/waste diversion. K ey
milestones include procuring a database and developing an action plan for SSMM.
Deliverables include the creation of a robust dataset and a program annual report on
SSMM trends and diversion opportunities. 2. To link people with diverted resources, the
County proposes establishing a Hawaiʻi Island Resource Exchange & Network Program
(HIREP), developed, and executed in tandem with the project above. HIREP, managed
and promoted by the proposed Resource Exchange & Network Coordinator (REN-C),
institutes foundational changes to creating a sustainable collaborative resource
management. This project’s purpose is to develop an opportunity for residents,
businesses, and organizations to trade resources, create a secondary market for
materials that would have been landfilled, construct SRDs and establish a permitting
process for SRDs. Key milestones include procuring a database / bulletin-board for
exchanging resources, continuous input, and engagement in Māʻona Community
4 Zero Waste Implementation Plan (2009) County of Hawaiʻi, Department of Environmental Management
https://ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Hawaii-zero-waste-plan.pdf
3
Gardens (MCG), a community research organization focused on composting from
diverted organics, planning process to create a streamlined permission process for SRDs,
and identifying Sustainable Resource Districts (SRDs) to site the construction of facilities
for processing diverted materials. Deliverables include the establishment of a highly
utilized database/bulletin board, the finalizing of a legal and streamlined permitting
process for composting and starting the construction of Sustainable Resource Districts
and facilities. 3. The Resource Education Specialist (RES) will support the visibility of the
HIREP and Landfill Diversion Data Program. The RES purpose is to conduct outreach and
education in rural, under-resourced, and urban communities to ensure equitable
economic opportunities and workforce development. Key milestones of the project are
the development of education and presentation materials for promoting diversion
opportunities, posting internship opportunities within the County focused on waste
diversion, and establishing parallel workforce development opportunities with the
University of Hawaii- Hilo. Deliverables include the development of a Master Recycler /
Composter (MRC) Program, developing school programs related to workforce
development, and onboarding interns every year to work in sustainable materials
management.
SECTION 2: REGIONAL INDUSTRY ASSETS AND NEEDS
Section 2a: Project’s Location and Region
The proposed component project is located on the island of Hawaiʻi also referred to as
Hawaiʻi County, within the State of Hawaiʻi, Congressional District HI-002, FIPS Code
15001.
More than 2,500 miles from the nearest continent, Hawaiʻi Island is unfavorably
dependent and over-reliant on imports. Due to the high demand for food, the
importation of food is increasing where the agriculture sector is shrinking. By 2020,
4
almost 90%5 of all the island’s food was imported and the population (200,629 people)6
had grown over 9% from 2010 (185,079). Hawaiʻi Island has a fragile and vulnerable
food system with one deep seaport, located in an inundation zone, and climate change
increasing the frequency of natural disasters (i.e., COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Lane,
and Kīlauea volcanic eruption). To support the movement of a resilient food system
there needs to be a systematic approach to using and reusing materials more
productively over their entire life cycles (e.g., cardboard/organics to compost).
The County of Hawaii does not have a repository on waste diversion metrics. This makes
exploring the waste economy a challenge. In 2020, the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill
collected almost 210k tons of waste.7 The makeup of this total included around 30% of
organic materials which were all deposited to the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill (WHSL).
That amount of waste emitted 237,234 metric tons of carbon dioxide8 . While very little
is known on the amount of waste that is diverted and can be diverted, the County ships
nominal amounts of corrugated cardboard (OCC) to be recycled off-island. For example,
in 2021, the County diverted 2,337 tons of OCC9, by shipping via barge to Asia, to be
recycled. Although 4,664 of metric tons of carbon10 savings occurred from recycling
OCC, still, this solution contributes to greenhouse gasses emissions via shipping and
removes the opportunity to use the OCC in composting to produce soil amendments.
The opportunity to reuse OCC on the island has not been exploited. Through network
education, stakeholders will understand how existing resources exist on island to bolster
agricultural output, jobs, landfill diversion as well as reduced carbon emissions through
exportation of materials. For example, Māʻona converted over 50 tons of cardboard 11
5 Increased Food Security and Food Self-Sufficiency Strategy (2012) Office of Planning
https://files.Hawaii.gov/dbedt/op/spb/INCREASED_FOOD_SECURITY_AND_FOOD_SELF_SUFFICIENCY_ST
RATEGY.pdf
6 U.S. Census Hawaii County Quick Facts (2020)
7 Recycle Hawaiʻi (2021) Zero Waste Plan Update
8 County of Hawaiʻi. (2022) Hawaiʻi Island Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report for 2017
9 Personal interview with Department of Environmental Management on March 8, 2022
10 EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator
11 Personal interview with Māʻona Community Gardens on March 9, 2022
5
over a year and a half to high-quality soil amendments. These products are in high
demand due in part to the eroded soil quality on agricultural land from plantation -era
sugar and pineapple operations and because most of the Island is covered in young,
barren lava flows that have limited to no soil 12 for growing crops.
The logistics with hauling discards to the landfill are complex. There are 21 transfer
stations13 dispersed around the island where residents can drop off solid waste, green
waste, and/or some recyclables (i.e., OCC & kraft paper grocery bags, non-HI-5 glass
containers). With this dispersed collection system, more than 650,000 vehicle miles are
traveled annually by diesel dump trucks to transport collected discards from all the
transfer stations to the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill. This transportation alone
produces 4,607 metric tons of carbon10 annually. There is a need to reduce
transportation emissions by reducing the number of vehicle trips.
Although the island draws thousands of visitors each year through the tourism
economy, what often goes unnoticed is the decrease in workforce labor (from 2016 to
2021 jobs declined by 7%) which fell short of the national growth rate of 0.4% by 6.6%.
While unemployment reached near record lows in 2018, the number of low -wage jobs
grew, wage increases were minimal, and job hours, schedules and benefits fluctuated
more often. In Hawaiʻi, for two adults working 2080 hours per year and with two
children, a standard wage is $36.66 per hour.14 At least $37.69 per hour is needed to
afford a two-bedroom apartment. Access to well-paying jobs and careers within the
green job sector is limited. There is a need to collect data on diversion so it can be
shared and influence entrepreneurs and businesses to innovate within the green job
sector.
Section 2b: Industry, Employer, and CEDS alignment
12 Hawaii Soil Atlas http://gis.ctahr.hawaii.edu/SoilAtlas
13 Hawaiʻi Zero Waste Plan (2020) https://www.Hawaiizerowaste.org/recycle/greenwaste-recycling/
14 National Low Income Housing Coalition. Out of Reach. The High Cost of Housing
6
County projects are aligned with the Hawaiʻi Statewide Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy (CEDs)15 by “building a sustainable agricultural industry that can
provide a living that is satisfying and financially rewarding for island farmers [...] and
agriculture sector workers and contribute to food self-sufficiency and mitigating
imports.” The projects support specific objectives of CEDS by way of: (1) procuring a
database and collecting aggregated data on waste streams to construct SRD facilities
and “ensuring that necessary infrastructure [...] in place [...].” (2) Decreasing the amount
of importance and instead supporting and promoting a culture of “Buy and Invest
Locally.” (3) “Support sustained production of food, fiber, and fuel. Specific to food
crops, support the Aloha+ Challenge goals of doubling local food production and
ensuring 20-30% of food consumed is locally grown” by developing SRDs and
constructing facilities. (4) Divesting from a linear economy and supporting a circular
economy for Hawaiʻi Agricultural Cluster aligns with CEDs “to increase, support and
promote adaptive capacity to better absorb and recover from economic, environmental,
and other shocks and stresses.”
SECTION 3: PROGRAM SOLUTION
The proposal implements the following strategies to divest itself from the traditional
linear economy approach of solid waste management to develop a closed-loop, SSMM
which in turn feeds a circular economy.
1.The total amount of waste produced and sent to the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill is
enough to generate power for more than half of all households16 on Hawaii Island. One
ingredient to reducing waste is to develop aggregated data to support the development
of diversion streams. This solution is feasible through the recruitment of a Diversion
Database Manager who will oversee the procurement and development of a Landfill
Diversion Database Program. The project will accelerate industry growth by driving
15 Hawaiʻi Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (2016)
16 https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases-equivalencies-calculator-calculations-and-references#houseenergy
7
value on the volume of materials available for diversion projects. Data is a strategic
asset and will be shared with entrepreneurs to innovate solutions for SSMM. The
County has minimal diversion projects occurring and is ripe for private investment,
entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities. Key findings from the U.S. EPA
Recycling Economic Information (REI) report, states 1,000 tons of materials recycles
equates to 1.17 jobs17. The proposed project meets the EDA’s Recovery and Resilience
Investment Priority by laying the foundation for building a more resilient waste
management system and provides an underpinning to recovery from supply chain
disruption.
2. Another ingredient to reducing waste, using aggregated data, is to build a network of
people, organizations, and businesses to obtain reusable materials. This solution is
feasible through the recruitment of a Hire a Resource Exchange & Network Coordinator
(REN-C) who will develop the Hawaiʻi Island Resource Exchange & Network Program
(HIREP). The purpose of the project is to procure and implement a database of
discarded and surplus materials for reuse. Developing strategies, new applications, for
reuse depends on access to information (Refer to Landfill Diversion Database Program)
and making reuse within reach. Industry growth is projected to occur through
information exchange to nurture reuse and grow reuse businesses and organizations.
According to the Association of Resale Professionals, resale is a multi -billion-dollar
industry, with more than 25,000 resale, consignment, and nonprofit shops in the United
States. There are an estimated 25 reuse, resale, and consignment shops. The proposed
project meets the EDA’s Recovery and Resilience Investment Priority by optimizing
SSMM, scaling up and diversifying the reuse market.
3. The best waste management programs and processes will not be sustainable without
citizen involvement and education. Developing a SSMM school and jobs program is
feasible through the recruitment of a Resource Educational Specialist. The program will
17 https://www.epa.gov/smm/recycling-economic-information-rei-report#findings
8
include education and engagement with stakeholders to identify potential diverted
products for repurposing, up- or down-cycling, resource substitution, etc.; increase the
visibility of the HIREP, the development training modules to assist businesses to process
diverted materials for use; and the communication of landfill diversion strategies;
develop school programs related to workforce development in the circular economy;
and provide intern opportunities in DEM to develop a green work force. Workforce
development opportunities is a priority pathway for this project.
SECTION 4: PARTNERS AND PROGRAM OUTREACH
Section 4a: Former, Current, or Future Partnerships/Working Relationships
The Agricultural Coalition is an invaluable asset to creating a robust agricultural
economy and increasing participation with a diversity of communities. Māʻona
Community Gardens (MCG) 501(c)3, a community research and development
organization, and a subrecipient under the Coalition Member Big Island Resource
Conservation and Development (BIRC&D), is focused on piloting, deploying and
innovating community food systems. As a key partner, DEM seeks to work in tandem
with MCG to aggregate diversion data, create a legal streamlined permitting process,
identify locations, and construct SRDs.
MCG understands the level of involvement required to produce quality soil
amendments through composting, anaerobic digestion, and other means. Through a
Green Gigaton Challenge, MCG diverted 50.5 tons of cardboard from the landfill to use
in its composting or mulching over 1.5 years. Diverting the cardboard from the landfill
resulted in a reduction of 91.6 metric tons of carbon18. Every pound of cardboard,
depending on the processing method, when mixed with a nitrogen source will produce
0.5-0.25 pounds of compost.
Data collection on SSMM is important to scaling up opportunities for diversion. For
example, the County is looking for partnerships within the Agricultural Cluster and the
18 Personal interview with Māʻona Community Gardens on March 9, 2022
9
private sector to use the organic waste as feedstock in an anaerobic digester to produce
bio-methane to propane. The agricultural sector depends on fossil fuels for energy. For
natural gas, Hawaiʻi pays on average $48.44 per thousand gallons 19 versus continental
United States prices of $13.13 per thousand gallons. Like many imported products,
Hawaiʻi carries the burden of inflation of over three and half times the cost for natural
gas. The County’s outcome is to create lower energy costs, divert waste to energy, and
reduce greenhouse gasses.
Section 4b: Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Underserved and socially disadvantaged communities are disproportionately affected by
climate change. Disparities are exacerbated by the 48% of people (71,565 households)20
living below the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold. Within
that percentage, Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic households (54% and 51% respectively)
live with higher inequities. In addition, there are other demographic groups that have
long faced barriers to financial security: women; veterans; lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people; recent immigrants by country of origin;
undocumented workers; formerly incarcerated people; and people with disabilities. The
County aims to advance workforce equity through the inclusion of underserved and
socially disadvantaged communities.
SECTION 5: MEASURABLE GOALS AND IMPACTS
Outlined in this section are DEMs anticipated goals, outputs, and outcomes expected
from the proposed project activities. These measures were selected as feasible
expectations based on project activities and partners’ data collection capacity, as well as
the concrete impacts that the Coalition’s collaborative efforts are intended to produce.
Temporarily, these projects will occur within a 48-month timeline.21 Albeit, while
19 U.S. Energy Information Administration (2021) Hawaiʻi Price https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n3010hi3m.htm
20 Aloha United Way (2020) ALICE in Hawaiʻi: A Financial Hardship Study
https://www.Hawaiʻihealthmatters.org/content/sites/Hawaiʻi/2020ALICEReport_HI_FINAL_1.pdf
21 Refer to Budget Timeline: COH_DEM_05b_RLF-and-Non-Construction-Staffing-and-Budget-Template
10
construction of SRDs facilities will begin by the third year, realistically construct ion will
take 8 to 12 years. Anticipated obstacles to engaging the community are dependent on
how people value the secondary materials market, if marketed properly and the
network is engaged this obstacle will be overcome.
1. Goal: Catalog aggregated landfill diversion data from all sources on Hawaiʻi Island and
provide public as an asset of value to economic vitality and market growth. Strategy:
Develop a Landfill Diversion Database managed by proposed Diversion Data Manager as
a priority within the first year and continue collection/management of data. Outcome:
The ability to make data-informed policy and SSMM, allocate resources accordingly, and
inform construction location of SRDs and facilities. Outcome Indicator(s): Develop 1
database. Report number of SRD sites and types of facilities identified and constructed.
Creating an inventory of diversion materials, volume, location, weight, and potential on -
island uses.22 2. Goal: Reduce organic materials from being landfilled and use all
diverted OCC on island to produce compost and increase the number of businesses
producing compost. Strategy: Create an island-wide network of SRDs wherein
decentralized composting facilities, anaerobic digestion, and other technologies will use
island recovered OCC and other selected materials as feedstock. Outcome: Reduction in
emissions from shipping OCC 5,000 miles, utilization of on-island resources, importing
less compost. Outcome Indicator(s): Divert 20% of the 30% of the organics landfilled to
be used for on-island compost, energy, and materials production. Increase production of
compost from 584 to 1168 tons of compost. Increase the diversion rate from 21% to
40%. Reduce County vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) from 650k miles by 20% over 4 years
and reduce transportation emissions by 20%. 3. Goal: Create a Hawai’i Island Resource
Exchange and Network Program for island residents to have a central location to post
resources to give away, sell, or trade which also tracks pounds diverted from landfill.
Strategy: Develop a community-driven materials management database managed by a
22 https://www.epa.gov/smm/metrics-waste-reduction
11
Resource Exchange & Network Coordinator (REN-C). Outcome: Diversion of resources
otherwise landfilled, reduced purchases of new consumer goods by having one location
to ‘shop’ for surplus or used goods prior to purchasing new. Outcome Indicator(s):
Register 5,000 network users per year. Development of 1 database. 25% representation
of socially disadvantaged groups within HIREP. 4. Goal: To develop a green workforce
poised to enter the SSMM industry on Hawai’i Island, reduce brain drain and recruit
talent. Strategy: Develop an internship program to recruit students to DEM for career
exploration. Outcome: Local graduates who are interested in and qualified for positions
at DEM. Outcome Indicator(s): Increase number of reuse, resale, consignment, and
SSMM businesses from 25 to 50 at the end of four years. Track number of
businesses/organizations diverting waste by year. Increase the number of green job
businesses by 20% by the end of 48 months. Increase DEM internship program from 0 to
2 biannually. 5. Goal: A well-informed population on best management and SSMM with
robust citizen involvement and education. Strategy: Develop Master Recycler /
Composter (MRC) Program managed by the proposed Resource Education Specialist.
Outcome: A network of volunteer certified MRCs who provide community education
through outreach and events. Outcome Indicator(s): Develop 1 action plan within the
first year. Certify 5 new MRCs every year. Increase volunteer hours from 25 hours for all
volunteers to 50 hours by year 2. Double volunteer hours for years 3 and years 4. Plan 2
community events annually. Reach 10% of the population annually.
SECTION 6: SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
The project’s Sustainability Plan beyond grant funding includes the current commitment
from the County administration in support of the three DEM positions that further the
County’s sustainability platform; continuation software subscription fees; and political
and community support for landfill diversion. However, the County needs four years of
grant funding to work on establishing permanent positions for the three proposed roles.
Hawai’i County Mayor, Mitch Roth is committed to working on establishing these new
12
jobs during his administration. The County is committed to retooling the economy and
has committed a $10 million dollar bond23 to support the development of SRDs and
facilities.
23 County of Hawaiʻi Ordinance 2020-027 2018-2020