HomeMy WebLinkAboutRecycle Hawaii - Zero Waste Plan 20211
PREPARED BY RECYCLE HAWAII IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE INSTITUTE
FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE, ZERO
WASTE ASSOCIATES AND HIDDEN
RESOURCES.
HAWAII
COUNTY
ZERO
WASTE
PLAN
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Introduction …………………………………………………………………..……………………..…
Goals of the Hawaii County Zero Waste Plan …………………………..…………………….…
Handling Recovered Materials According to the Plan ..………………..……………….….…
Summary Recommendations …………………………….……………………………..…………
Extended Producer Responsibility …..…………………………………………………………..
Education & Messaging………………………………………………………………………...…..
Keep It Here
Organics ….………………………………….....……………………………………………....
Glass ….………………………………………………………………………………………...
C&D …...….………………………………….....…………………………………..………..…
Waste-to-Wealth
Textiles …………………………………………..…………………..…………….…..…….....
Electronics ……………………………………..……………..…………………..………...…
Abandoned Vehicles ……………………………..…………………………………….........
Reuse Centers …………………..…………………………………...……………..……..…..
The Problem with Plastic …..………………….....……………………………………………..…
Send It Along
Recycling As the Supply Chain for the Circular Economy ……………………………….
Relevant Trends ………………….....……………….…………………...………....……..…..
Plastics ……………………………………………..………………………………………..…
Infrastructure ……..………………………………………………………..…………………..…….
Funding …………………………………………..…………………………………..............…….…
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Table of Contents
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OUR ISLAND IS UNIQUE
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Compact land mass bounded by vast stretches of ocean
Hawaii Island is the geographical equivalent of a ship at sea. Our
unique geography obligates us to take extraordinary measures to prevent
the introduction of microplastics into marine environments.
Exceptionally h igh level of per capita waste generation
The most recent estimates for Hawaii County per capita waste
generation, derived from data collected in 2016, are 7.1 pounds per day
for the resident population and 6.4 pounds per day for the de facto
population.These estimates are far higher that the U.S. average of about
4.5 pounds per day for that same year.
Lifestyle heavily dependent on imported goods
Over 90% of the goods Hawaii Island residents depend on to sustain
themselves are shipped long distances using vessels powered by fossil
fuels.The unused backhaul capacity created when empty containers are
returned to the continental U.S. creates an opportunity to export
recyclables at little additional carbon cost.
Strong culture of environmental protectionism
Hawaii Island is home to a broad base of citizens predisposed to
protect the environment.This subculture can be counted on to popularize
zero waste strategies and draw significant numbers of early adopters.
Self-haul standard
Most Hawaii Island residents and many businesses deliver their own
discards to county transfer stations.This widespread practice increases
the potential for engaging both sectors in resource recovery programs.
Vast expanses of barren lava
Ongoing volcanic eruptions on Hawaii Island have created an
exceptional need for soil amendments.
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ZERO WASTE IS THE GOAL
According to the peer reviewed, internationally
accepted definition:Zero Waste is the conservation of all
resources by means of responsible production, consumption,
reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials
without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air
that threaten the environment or human health.
According to language adopted by Hawaii County:
The Zero Waste philosophy is based on the concept that
current standards of waste management are inefficient and
unsustainable, and that waste can be virtually eliminated by
emulating sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded
materials are treated as resources that can effectively be
reused. It is a whole-system approach that emphasizes a
closed-loop production and consumption system by 1)
reducing the volume and toxicity of waste through product
and packaging redesign strategies; 2) reusing materials and
products for alternative uses, as well as for their original
intended use; and 3) recycling and composting all remaining
materials for their best use.
Within the Zero Waste framework, materials that cannot be
easily and conveniently reduced, reused, recycled, or
composted are returned to the manufacturer, who is ultimately
responsible for product disposal.The Zero Waste approach
includes aggressive education of public and private entities
because consumer choices are considered to be the driving
force in changing consumption and disposal patterns.
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Composition of Hawaii Island’s Waste Stream
The above estimates are found in the 2019
Hawaii County Integrated Solid Waste
Management Plan, and based on figures
collected in 2001 and 2008, the most recent
years for which data are available. C&D refers to
construction and demolition waste. HHW refers
to household hazardous waste.The SPECIAL
category includes ash, industrial sludge, treated
medical waste, bulky items, tires and a range of
residual wastes.The MIXED category refers to
an amalgam of residues that are not readily
identifiable. Each of the other categories listed
includes a residual component that is not
suitable for resource recovery.
These components together with the HHW,
Special and Mixed categories amount to an
estimated 27.2% that can be considered non-
recoverable.This means that although zero
waste is the goal, even with the most well
designed collection systems in place, unless
methods for manufacturing and packaging
consumer goods change significantly, Hawaii
Island is unlikely to achieve a diversion rate
higher than 70%. Hawaii County’s current
diversion rate is about 21%, with 72% of that
percentage attributable to its green waste
program and 28% attributable to recycling and
reuse programs.
TONS PER YEAR
ORGANICS 69,448
PAPER 47,130
C&D 46,702
PLASTIC 17,482
METAL 16,388
GLASS 4,592
HHW 527
SPECIAL 6,762
MIXED 997
TOTAL 210,030
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*Exporting low-grade plastics may require fees to brokers due to low value of materials. The volume for this category
includes textiles due to the prevalence of synthetic fibers in modern clothing; tonnage for textiles has been subtracted.
from the Organics category.
ORGANICS 63,963 Processed OI
PAPER 47,130
Cardboard 16,182 Processed OI
Kraft Bags 723 Processed OI
Processed OINewspaper4,000
Ledger and Office Mix 3,422 Baled & Exported
Magazines, Directories, Mixed Paper Baled & Exported
C&D 46,702
11,167
Lumber 22,984 Processed OI
Gypsum 1,471 Processed OI
PLASTIC *22,967
All grades 17,482 Baled & Exported
Textiles 5,485 Baled & Exported
METAL 16,388
All grades Baled & Exported
GLASS 4,592
Container Glass 4,103 Used & Processed OI
Single-Use Beverage Containers Used OI/ Exported
Materials Tonnage Handling
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Hawaii County’s zero waste goals can be met through a strategy that
includes the following objectives tailored to meet its unique conditions
and needs.
▪Development of public and private sector infrastructure that
facilitates the collection of clean, well sorted materials and
preserves the value of discarded resources,
▪Continuation of drop-off recycling and waste handling practices,
▪Transformation of rural transfer stations into community-oriented,
family-friendly hubs that promote and support resourcefulness,
▪Baling and stockpiling of materials to decrease need for additional
sorting and handling,
▪Delivery of materials to ports in Hilo and Kawaihae for export to
out-of-state brokers,
▪Establishment of a distributed system of community scale,
strategically located composting operations that support increased
food production and less toxic landscaping practices,
▪Use of shared saving incentives (service fees) for all recycling,
composting and reuse businesses and programs,
▪Expansion of existing reuse sector,
▪Establishment of public/private partnerships, including product
stewardship programs, that attract the funding needed to meet
these goals.
Goals of the Hawaii County
Zero Waste Plan
THE CLEAN STREAM CONCEPT
A matter of respect.
In 2004, Hawaii County
abandoned source separation in
favor of a mixed recycling
approach. Providing a single large
roll-off for later sortation proved
to be a mistake that led to
contamination and left many
questioning the value of recycling
altogether. Although recycling
should never preempt waste
reduction strategies, it does serve
as a critical means for establishing
circular economy supply chains.
Markets for clean, well sorted
materials do exist, and major
investments in U.S. recycling
infrastructure are set to
significantly increase demand for
these materials in the near future.
By supporting the development of
clean stream programs, Hawaii
County will provide island
residents, business owners and
visitors with opportunities to take
advantage of this trend and treat
precious resources with the
respect they deserve.
Collecting resources in ways that preserve their value is the key to creating a zero
waste system that works. Once discarded materials are introduced into a clean
stream handling system, they will be diverted to on-island resource recovery
programs or processed for stockpiling.
Compostable materials will be kept on island.To the extent practicable, glass will
be diverted into reuse programs. Glass not suitable for reuse will be crushed and
used on island.All other materials will be baled.Those that are marketable will be
exported.Those that are not, such as low grade plastics that have no immediate
value, can be stockpiled at the WHSL for export when their value increases.
Schemes to recover plastic and reform it into so-called “useful items” are not
included in this zero waste plan.As inhabitants of a tiny outcropping in an
expansive marine environment, Hawaii Island residents have a special obligation
to ensure that the inordinate amount of plastic waste they generate does not end
up in the ocean, either as marine debris or microscopic particles.Taking that
waste, turning it into lumber or septic tanks and putting it back into the
environment where it will degrade into microplastics eschews this obligation,
whereas making a commitment to export plastic waste as quickly as possible is
the best way to fulfill it.
When coupled with an equal or greater emphasis on decreasing the amount of
plastic imported to Hawaii, this strategy offers the most responsible way for
addressing Hawaii Island’s plastic pollution problem. It aligns with
recommendations made by the Center for International Environmental Law as
well as the UN Environmental Programme’s Global Commitment for a New
Plastics Economy.
Handling Materials According to the Plan
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Unused Backhaul
Capacity
Most of the shipping
containers used to deliver
goods to Hawaii return to the
Continental U.S. empty, with
estimates of this unused
capacity ranging from 65% to
85% of the total volume.
While the capital cost of
returning these containers is
embedded in the price of
goods sold in Hawaii, the
carbon cost goes to w aste.
As the county compares the
life cycle costs of its waste
handling options, rather than
attributing high carbon costs
to exporting recyclables,
recycling must be evaluated
as a means to take advantage
of the carbon asset unused
backhaul capacity
represents.
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Since 1989, the Center for
International Environmental
Law (CIEL) has used the power
of law to protect the environment, promote human rights,
and ensure a just and sustainable society. CIEL seeks a world
where the law reflects the interconnection between humans
and the environment, respects the limits of the planet,
protects the dignity and equality of each person, and
encourages all of Earth’s inhabitants to live in balance with
each other. CIEL’s groundbreaking report, titled “Climate and
Plastic: the True Cost of a Plastic Planet,” recommends
reducing the production of virgin plastic and landfilling waste
plastic as the best ways to mitigate this material’s devastating
impact on planetary systems.
The Basel Convention
Originally convened in 1995 to prevent
industrialized nations from dumping
hazardous wastes outside their own borders,
this international treaty was amended in 2019
to include plastic waste among the materials regulated by its
provisions.The U.S. is not a party to the Basel Convention, but
exporting plastic waste to any of the 187 countries that are
parties is considered a criminal activity by the Basel Action
Network, which is the organization tasked with enforcing the
treaty’s provisions.
Hawaii Island’s Rightful Place in the Global Movement
to Prevent Plastic Pollution
The Global Commitment for a New
Plastics Economy unites more than 500
organizations behind 2025 targets aimed
at 1) eliminating unnecessary plastic
items, 2) innovating so all necessary
plastics can be safely reused, recycled or
composted, and 3) circulating necessary
plastic in the economy while keeping if
out of the environment.
Becoming a signatory to the Global
Commitment allows Hawaii Island to
collaborate with the UNEP and other
signatories to tackle its own plastic
pollution crisis.The commitment calls on
governments to provide dedicated and
stable funding for collection and sorting
programs.
The key to economic growth through reuse, recycling and composting is the
recovery of discarded materials in ways that make it safe and easy to preserve or
increase their value. Instead of providing such waste-to-wealth opportunities, Hawaii
County has established a collection system that immediately degrades the worth of
these materials and prohibits access to them.The volume of waste Hawaii County
generates per capita is about 75% above the national average, while the cost the
county pays to manage this waste is far higher than what municipalities on the
continental United States pay—all this while losing the jobs, tax revenues and
associated economic benefits that could be reaped by expanding Hawaii County’s
resource and production base.The general recommendations outlined below
represent the key components of redesigning the county’s discarded materials
handling system to better manage resources.
Local ordinances are needed to require:
▪Compostable organics out of the landfill.
▪Construction and demolition reuse and recycling plans,
▪Separation of designated reusables, recyclables and compostables
(including all haulers required to provide recycling services as a
condition of their county permit),
▪Funding for training and marketing programs,
▪Retailer and producer take-back of non-recyclable, non-reusable or non-
compostable products and packaging.
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Summary Recommendations
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Rural transfer stations should be redesigned into recovery
parks that keep resources within the community and
provide facilities for:
▪Increased capacity for recovering and redistributing reusable items,
▪Covered storage for C&D materials,
▪Stockpiling of source-separated, drop-off recyclables,
▪Organic material collection,
▪Rock, ceramics and glass grinding areas,
▪Cardboard and paper processing,
▪Community composting,
▪Family-friendly educational activities, including resource exchanges.
Training and marketing programs:
▪Train the trainers,
▪Train the technicians and regulators,
▪Train people and businesses,
▪Facilitate research required to support sound resource management,
including facilitation of public, private, and academic partnerships.
p
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In order to provide the dedicated and stable
funding needed to achieve its zero waste goals,
Hawaii County must align with the growing
national movement to hold producers and brand
owners accountable for the waste their business
models generate. Known as extended producer
responsibility, or EPR, this movement promotes a
variety of approaches aimed at reducing the
environmental impacts of consumerism and
transferring some portion of waste handling costs
from municipalities to producers.The justification
for this is simple: Since manufacturers and brand
owners control how their products are designed,
made, and packaged, they alone control whether
or not these items and materials can be safely
managed when they are no longer useful.
The ways in which producers are obligated to take
responsibility can be categorized as follows:
1)informative, meaning producers have a duty to disclose
relevant information related to the methods and materials
they use;
2)liability, meaning producers must be held accountable for
the environmental and social impacts the manufacture and
sale of their products create;
3)economic, meaning producers must provide funding for
EPR programs; and
4)physical, meaning producers should be involved in the
actual handling of materials.
Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR):
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EPR LEGISLATION IN THE U.S.
These seven states introduced EPR legislation in
2021: California,Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts,
New York, Oregon and Washington.
Hawaii had two bills. One, HB1316, introduced by
Representative Nicole Lowen, called for packaging
producers to be responsible for waste while ensuring
minimal social and environmental impacts; the other,
SB1419 introduced by Senator Laura Acasio, sought
to establish a municipal product stewardship model.
Neither piece of legislation passed. Both senators
are set to reintroduce bills in 2022.
While there is broad agreement among EPR advocates to hold
producers accountable with regards to informative, liability and
economic responsibilities, there is a growing debate over how
much physical control they should have over discarded materials.
Within the EPR movement two schools of thought have emerged;
one favors mechanisms that reimburse municipalities, and the
other puts producers in charge of collecting and handling waste
themselves. Reimbursement strategies fall under what is known
as the product stewardship model of EPR.
Given Hawaii Island’s unique geography and import-dependent
economy, establishing a reimbursement fund that allows the
county to enter into cost sharing relationships with producers
while creating incentives for them to reduce waste is the best
approach. It is consistent with the “polluter pays” principle
introduced in the mid-1990s by Swedish environmental
economist Thomas Lindhqvist, and it preserves the county’s right
to decide what form its reduction, reuse and recycling programs
will take. Retaining this control is essential if the county is to
maximize the waste-to-wealth potential of these programs.
TOP PRODUCERS OF FMCGs
Nestle Danone, S.A.
Proctor & Gamble Mondelez
PepsiCo Henkel
AB InBev Colgate-Palmolive
Unilever Diageo
JBS RB
Tyson Foods SC Johnson
The Coca-Cola Company Kellogg
Mars. Incorporated Essity
L’Oreal FrieslandCampina
Of the top 20 producers of fast moving
consumer goods (FMCGs) 16 (highlighted
in bold above) are signatories to The Global
Commitment for a New Plastics Economy.
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While education is an essential strategy for engaging participants and
making zero waste programs run effectively, emphasizing education in a
take-make-waste system that affords few opportunities for waste reduction
leads to cognitive dissonance and undermines long term goals. Images of
trash dumped in impoverished neighborhoods as the result of failed U.S.
recycling programs have taken a toll on the American psyche, so much so
that some now find no value in recycling at all.
Since the 1960s, Americans have been subjected to programming created by
the industry-backed Ad Council that characterized the U.S. waste crisis as a
litter problem.The purpose of such messaging has always been to shift
responsibility from producers to consumers and convince consumers that
they have the power to solve the environmental crisis wastefulness creates,
when, in fact, they do not.
In Hawaii County, residents, business owners and visitors must go to
extraordinary lengths to avoid generating waste. Children are consistently
exposed to messaging that suggests activities like recycling are heroic
achievements, when they should be among the most ordinary things they do.
All consumers, even children, bear a responsibility for the waste they
generate, but the call to take responsibility must be received in a social order
that allows them to do so. Until the county establishes a system that makes
waste reduction, material reuse and recycling possible, its educational efforts
should focus solely on providing Hawaii Islanders the information they need
to take advantage of existing services.
Education doesn’t work if
products are not designed to
be recycled, if the collection
infrastructure cannot properly
capture and process the
materials, and if the markets
do not exist to drive the use of
those materials into recycled
products.
What we need now is radical
sweeping change in policy
and infrastructure, supported
by recycling education, not
led by it.
Kate Bailey, Co-Founder of
The Alliance of Mission-Based
Recyclers
EDUCATION & MESSAGING
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ORGANICS = 30%
Capturing organics and removing them from the waste stream is
the most important element of this plan. Organic discards
constitute the single greatest component of the total volume
collected by the county, and the tendency for these materials to
rapidly degrade into an unpleasant mess makes handling all
other materials difficult when they are in the mix. In the landfill,
organics generate methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent
than CO2. It is not enough to divert these carbon-rich materials
from the waste stream; once they are captured, they must be
processed in ways that minimize their impact on Earth’s climate
and take full advantage of their value as soil amendments.
MULCHING
Although the county green waste program has been its most
effective waste diversion effort to date, improvements are
needed.The enhanced mulch it produces is highly popular, but
the value it creates is outweighed by the carbon footprint created
when green waste gets trucked long distances to mulch sites and
scores of trucks idle for hours on free-mulch pickup days. When
there is a need to move large volumes of mulch, the county
should work with soil conservationists to efficiently deliver this
much needed resource to high priority areas. Otherwise, smaller
volumes should be processed through a distributed network that
collects materials close to where they are generated and where
they will be used.This enhanced mulch should be made available
for pick-up on an ongoing basis, rather than as monthly event.
Each year, approximately 24 billion tons of fertile
soil are lost through extractive farming methods
worldwide. If this trend continues, soil scientists
estimate that the agricultural industry has only 60
harvests left.
KEEP IT HERE
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COMPOSTING
Maximizing our capacity for composting requires a tiered approach that
organizes the vast amounts of organic materials Hawaii Island businesses,
visitors and residents generate for disposal into manageable streams of
high quality resources.This plan recommends the use of the following
categories for this purpose:
1) Backyard composting:At this most basic level, organic materials
are generated, processed and used in the same location, primarily by
individuals and families, although some small businesses could fall
into this category. Backyard composting is not subject to DOH
regulations.
2) Artisan-scale:This category includes small-scale, collaborative
efforts that are non-commerical and aimed at collecting materials from
a variety of sites for processing into soil amendments that are then
shared.The volumes are low enough to prevent public health
concerns. Operations at this scale should be exempt from DOH
permitting requirements.
3) Food Service-related:These operations form an interface with
restaurants and other facilities where significant volumes of pre- and
post-consumer food waste are generated on a regular basis.The
relatively low volume of green waste in this stream makes it highly
valuable to pig farmers who have been diverting these resources for
generations. Although this stream is suitable for composting, the fact
that it is already being diverted must be taken into consideration as
the county develops strategies for capturing and processing organics.
The collection and use of this stream of materials are subject to DOH
regulations that the agency does not enforce.
This groundbreaking
documentary is inspiring
people the world over to
take action against
climate change by
building healthy soil.
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4) Farm-related:These larger scale operations occur on land zoned for agriculture and are aimed at
enhancing soil as a means to increase productivity.They serve as convenient drop-off locations for landscape
trimmings and are monitored on a regular basis to prevent the spread of invasive species. Operations at this
scale provide a valuable carbon sequestration service because they convert the organics that otherwise
generate methane in landfills into amendments that greatly increase the capacity of Hawaii Island soils to
capture carbon.
According to current DOH regulations, when composting occurs on land zoned agricultural, a permit is not
needed if the organic materials are generated, composted and used on site. If the operation produces
compost for off-site use, regardless of whether it is located on a farm or industrial parcel of land, it must be
permitted by DOH.
ACTION:Prohibit disposal of organics in the landfill.
ACTION: Work with DOH to reform regulations that
prohibit composting activities.
ACTION:Abandon plans for a single large-scale
composting facility in favor of a distributed system
that prioritizes the needs of farmers and makes it easy
for residential and commercial generators to divert
organic discards.
ACTION:Require Hawaii County Parks Department to
mulch the green waste it generates.
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Panaewa Feed Mill
Functional since 2018, this University of Hawaii project is
currently being leased to Na Hoa Kalele, a private business
that intends to harvest invasive gorse from the slopes of
Mauna Kea and convert it along with unmarketable papaya,
taro, oil palm and green waste into livestock feed.
The existing agreement allows Na Hoa Kalele to operate
the feed mill for a period of one year. During this period,
HPU and Na Hoa Kalele will explore the potential for a
longer arrangement. Long-term use of the feed mill is
subject to existing commitments and pre-existing use rights
by Ulupono, a sustainable development firm that was an
early investor in the mill, and UH-Hilo. If all goes well, at the
end of the evaluation period Na Hoa Kalele will provide
HPU with an operational plan, operating budget, and
business plan to maintain and run the feed mill.
Increasing local livestock production will help Hawaii Island
become more self-reliant; currently, as much as 80% of the
food consumed on island is imported. And research is
already underway to explore the potential for the project to
accept food waste from residents and businesses.
RegenerateLA
As part of an expansive effort to divert 100% of
LA’s organic waste from the landfill by 2050,
this program funds the collection and
composting of organics, including food
scraps, to create soil amendments for the
city’s parklands, playing fields and road
medians.
RegenerateLA was launched by LA
Councilmembers Paul Koretz and Mike Bonin
who were both inspired by the groundbreaking
documentary, Kiss the Ground. The initiative
aims to maximize the carbon sequestration
capacity of the city’s soils, while also
establishing tree planting and methane
harvesting programs. RegenerateLA works
with healthy soil advocacy organizations in the
Greater LA area. Here on Hawaii Island, a
number of similar groups have come together
as the Hawaii Island Compost Consortium.Ph
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PAPER = 22%
The substitution of paper for plastic in packaging is the single greatest change
corporations working within the Global Commitment for a New Plastics
Economy framework are planning to make.This trend represents the easiest
way for signatory corporations to meet the goal of 100% recyclable,
compostable or reusable plastic packaging by 2025.Taking action now in
preparation for a significant increase in the volume of discarded paper is an
important component of this plan.
CARDBOARD
Hawaii Islanders’ dependency on imported goods generates a mountain of
unwanted cardboard each year. Although the value of this material as a
recyclable commodity fluctuates, its value as a carbonaceous soil amendment
in a place where barren lava fields dominate the landscape and the population
aspires to become less dependent on imported food cannot be overstated.
The ease with which cardboard can be collected, stored and processed
increases its usefulness as a primary resource for composting operations. And,
while large scale retailers typically collect, bale and export the waste cardboard
they generate,the county pays nearly $XM to export cardboard and brown
Kraft bags,two raw materials that could instead be used to significantly
increase the health and carbon-fixing capacity of Hawaii Island soils. Recent
efforts to collect, process and mulch cardboard have demonstrated its value in
this regard, especially for vermiculture operations.
KEEP IT HERE
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NEWSPAPER
Discarded newspapers are another high-value resource that, with
proper handling and minimal processing, could be diverted from
the landfill. An estimated 4,000 tons per year is available for use
as a carbonaceous additive to compost piles, as bedding for
vermiculture operations and even as packing materials for
exported products such as anthuriums.
PAPERBOARD, EGG CARTONS & MIXED PAPER
Constant exposure to the elements leads to the rapid degradation
of plastic pots and similar items commonly used by agricultural
operations. Hawaii Island’s ambitions to become more food secure
don’t have to result in increased microplastic pollution. A steady
stream of low grade paper, including paperboard (the material
used to make cereal boxes), egg cartons and mixed paper is
available for remolding into compostable paper starter pots and
trays.The process for doing so is low tech and low impact as long
as plasticizers like PFAS and PFOS are not added to the mix.
Opportunities for substituting single-use items like cup holders
also abound, and niche markets within the tourism industry offer
ways to improve the economics of paper molding enterprises
operating at a community scale. As an example, hotels could
distribute locally made paper coolers to guests who go on
excursions then collect them for re-processing at the end of the
day. Programs like this exemplify the circularity and regenerative
tourism goals promoted in county plans.
ACTION: Establish private-public
partnerships that recover cardboard,
paper bags and newspaper for
processing and redistribution to end-
users.
ACTION: Support the development of
pilot projects that turn reclaimed egg
cartons, boxboard, toilet paper rolls
and lower grades of waste paper into
useful items for local consumption.
KEEP IT HERE
GLASS = 2.2%
Due to soaring global demand for solar panels, computer chips,
fracking mud and concrete, the high grade sand used to produce
these items is increasingly hard to find.This shortage of silica sand
and the carbon footprint that comes with an energy intensive
manufacturing process compel us to preserve glass containers for
reuse.The county’s current glass recycling program, through which
containers are collected, ground into cullet and made available for
landscaping, construction and agricultural purposes is actually a form
of down-cycling. While this strategy eliminates costs associated with
exporting the ground cullet, far too much of the value embedded in
glass containers is lost in the process. Not only should we keep glass
here, we should endeavor to keep it whole.
Glass is the only packaging material the FDA has certified “generally
regarded as safe.” Containers made from it are suited to reuse better
than any other form of food or beverage delivery, and sterilizing
them for this purpose is a tried and true practice. Although private
capital is needed to develop the necessary infrastructure, existing
state programs that fund glass reclamation can be leveraged to
attract this investment.
Hawaii has two programs that drive the collection of glass.They are
1) the deposit beverage container (DBC) program, which assesses a
6-cent fee on most single-use beverage containers and 2) the
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container glass program which assesses a 1.5-cent advanced
disposal fee (ADF) on glass bottles and jars used to deliver food
items of 2 ounces or more.
In addition to reimbursing redemption centers for the deposit they
pay when DBCs are redeemed, DOH pays a handling fee per
container. On Oahu, the fee is 2 cents for every non-glass container
delivered to recyclers; on the outer islands it is 3 cents. When it
comes to glass, DOH pays a 2-cent fee for each container processed
for agricultural or construction use, and 4 cents for each glass
container that undergoes remanufacturing. In 2020, the redemption
rate for the DBC program was under 62%, the lowest since the
program began. Redeeming less DBCs than the number sold results
in an overage.The most recent estimate of unredeemed deposits in
the DBC special fund is close to $50M.
As for container glass, the ADF collected by the state and passed
through to the county does not cover the costs of DEM’s glass
collection program. In 2020, Hawaii County received $113,630. In
2021, an effort was made to raise the ADF to 5 cents. According to
testimony from the Wine Institute, “On wine products alone, a 5-cent
ADF would raise about $1.4 million, almost double the 2019 ADF
revenue.”
ACTION: Increase the container glass ADF to 5 cents per
eligible container.
ACTION: Support the development of glass recycling
and reuse programs.
The Auditor’s
Report
Section 342G-107 of the Hawaii Revised
Statutes requires the Office of the Auditor to
conduct a management and financial audit
of the state’s Hi5 program and its special
fund for even-numbered fiscal years. In 2018,
that audit, like every audit before it since the
program began in 2005, found that DOH’s
reliance on self-reported data exposed the
program to the risk of fraudulent and
inaccurate reporting.
Although distributors are required by law to
report the exact number of beverages they
sell, no mechanism for tracking the accuracy
of their records exists. Similarly, as DBCs are
redeemed, operators of the state certified
redemption centers self-report the number
of containers they collect and DOH
reimburses them based on that accounting
with no way of knowing if it is accurate.
Like every audit before it, the most recent
examination of the Hi5 program records
found accounting discrepancies that raised
concerns as to whether the amounts being
remitted by the distributors or amounts paid
to the redemption centers were appropriate.
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KEEP IT HERE
C&D = 22%
Among the many materials discarded as a result of construction,
renovation and demolition projects, clean and treated lumber account
for nearly half the volume the county collects.The next greatest
component in this stream, at roughly 6%, is a mix of residual materials
that are largely unrecoverable.
According to the EPA, demolition activities generate more than 90% of
total C&D debris, while construction accounts for the rest. Recovering
these materials contributes the second highest level of recycling
related wages to the U.S. economy, at nearly $10 billion per year via
approximately 175,000 jobs.The success of private ventures like ReUse
Hawaii have proven that unwanted building materials offer a wealth of
economic opportunities. Any further gains in diversion and job creation
are dependent on the availability of large covered spaces where
salvageable materials can be conveniently off-loaded and stored.
Six county transfer stations—those located in Kea‘au, Kalapana, Hilo,
Kaʻauhuhu, Keʻei, and Waiʻōhinu—have sufficient space (over 10 acres)
for additional collection and processing operations.These would make
ideal locations for the provision of covered spaces that could be used
to store and process C&D materials.They could also be places where
waste concrete, asphalt paving, and asphalt roofing could be
stockpiled; although DOH rules do not prohibit this, some restrictions
do apply. Funding for these improvements can be generated by
assessing a fee on high-value construction projects, with the revenue
used to reimburse private sector reclamation enterprises based on the
weight of the materials collected.
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The C&D sector is one where the percentage of residual
materials is especially high.Treating discarded resources
with greater care on the job site is the best way to
decrease the volume of unrecoverable C&D materials.
ACTION: Assess a .05% fee on construction
projects over $2M to fund a C&D collection
program that reimburses private sector
reclamation enterprises.
ACTION: Provide covered areas in West and
East Hawaii for the collection of unpainted
scrap drywall.
ACTION: Provide areas in West and East Hawaii
for the collection of discarded asphalt paving
and asphalt roofing tiles.
ACTION: Work with Hawaii Community
College construction career programs to
develop curricula that instill resource recovery
as an industry best practice.
DRYWALL = .7%
Although the volume of clean discarded
drywall ending up in Hawaii Island
landfills each year is relatively low, the
ease with which this material can be
collected and processed into a soil
amendment make it a material well worth
diverting.
The hydrated calcium sulfate used to make
drywall breaks down easily and, while its
ability to increase food production is
debatable, its ability to remove salt from
soils is well documented. Approximately
1,471 tons of gypsum gets landfilled in
Hawaii County each year. Most of this
could be diverted for use in the
maintenance of coastal golf course and
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THE PROBLEM WITH PLASTIC
Plastic pollution has infiltrated every last natural system on the
planet from human placentas to the air columns above the Swiss
Alps. Scientists have found evidence of it in the deepest parts of the
ocean and in the blood of polar bears.Turning plastic waste into
energy or reforming it into new products does nothing to address
microplastic pollution.These so-called solutions only exacerbate the
problem by deepening our dependency on plastic at a time when
we need to curb its use. Schemes to manufacture lumber or septic
tanks from recovered waste plastic put it back into the environment
where it will degrade into microplastics that can never be retrieved.
The Global Commitment for a New Plastics Economy is an initiative
led by the Untied Nations Environmental Programme and funded by
the Ellen MacArthur Foundation that aims to address plastic pollution.
This initiative has united 500 organizations committed to achieving
targets aimed at 1) eliminating nonessential plastic items, 2)
innovating so all essential plastic items are designed to be safely
reused, recycled or composted, and 3) circulating the plastic needed
to make essential items in the economy and out of the environment.
This groundbreaking initiative also seeks to decouple the use of
plastic from the consumption of finite resources while ensuring that
plastic packaging is free of hazardous chemicals, and the health,
safety, and rights of those involved in its production are respected.
According to Ocean Crusaders,
plastic waste kills an estimated
100 million marine animals and
100,000 seabirds each year.
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The types of plastic packaging most
commonly identified as problematic
include:
1) Expanded polystyrene
2) Polystyrene
3) Undetectable carbon black
4) Polyvinylchloride
5) PVDC
6) Single-use plastic carrier bags
7) Single-use cutlery
8) Single-use straws
9) Multi-layer packaging
10)Primary film poly-bags
11)Metalized films
12)Plastic windows in cardboard boxes
13)Sachets
14)Pumps, trigger sprays
15)Secondary film multi-buy
16)Labels/stickers
17) Tear offs
While existing county bans on single-use plastic shopping bags and
expanded polystyrene (EPS) takeout containers prove the political
will to modify public behavior does exist, Hawaii County has not set
procurement rules that hold its own agencies to a similar standard.
Last minute changes to Hawaii County’s EPS takeout container ban
allowed for the use of “suitable” recyclable plastic substitutes along
with compostable ones.The county defines “suitable” as made of
plastic that “may be processed into materials untilized in the
production of new plastic,” but plastic contaminated with food
cannot be made into new plastic.This puts vendors using these
containers, as well as the businesses that sell them, in violation of
U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 16 CFR 260 (“Green Guides”)
requirements for product claims.
ACTION: Set procurement standards that prohibit
county agencies from purchasing single-use beverage
and polystyrene containers, including coffee cups.
ACTION: Discontinue the allowance of thermoform
plastic takeout containers as a substitute for EPS
containers.
ACTION: Ban single-use plastics including straws,
cutlery and beverage containers, hot and cold beverage
cups, cup lids, plates, bowls, bowl lids, stirrers, and
plastic film/wrappers for non-prepackaged foods.
ELIMINATING PROBLEMATIC PLASTICS
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Rafael Bergstrom, Executive
Director of Sustainable Coastlines
Hawaii, was a member of the
Plastic Source Reduction Working
Group.This excerpt from his
personal statement reflects the
sentiment of those working on the
frontlines to solve the plastic
pollution problem:
“Despite an overwhelming majority
on the working group who wanted
stronger action on extended
producer responsibility (requiring
accountability to full product life
cycles and major shifts in supply
chains), we were undermined by the
few whose direct financial ties to the
industry are very clear. “
In 2019, the Hawaii State Legislature passed Act 254, which
established a Plastic Source Reduction Working Group.The group’s
recommendations are summarized below:
1) Create a uniform statewide plastic source reduction standard.
2) Update the state health code as needed to increase the use of
reusables in food service.
3) Create a single, inclusive, across-the-board 15- to 30-cent user
fee on all single-use service ware items as well as a separate
15- to 30-cent user fee on all carryout bags (but not cups, lids,
and containers).
4) Enact a tax credit for businesses that invest in modern
commercial reuse and washing equipment that reduce the
use of plastics in the waste stream.
5) Organize, finance, and conduct a pilot project that tests the
efficacy and expense of making UV-C or other sanitizing
technology available.
6) Establish a 5-year state-facilitated education campaign about
waste reduction.
7) Accelerate composting.
8) Undertake a fair and careful study of Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR).
THE PLASTIC SOURCE REDUCTION
WORKING GROUP
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SEND IT ALONG
Recycling as the Supply Chain for
the Circular Economy
At the onset of the 21st century, Chinese businesses desperate for
ever more raw materials to feed their rapid growth created and
sustained markets for low quality recyclables.The U.S. recycling
industry met this demand by adopting single-stream collection
strategies–where recyclable commodities are collected in commingled
containers and transported to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) for
sorting into marketable feedstocks.The single-stream approach
produced increased volumes at reduced costs while leading to high
levels of contamination, and dominated recycling in the U.S. until
China announced it was no longer willing to accept container loads
that included non-recyclable materials and organic matter.
By 2013, growing labor costs and disposal issues led the Chinese
government to issue a stern warning to recyclers worldwide.This
mandate, called Green Fence, declared that if the quality of the
materials coming into the country did not improve significantly, China
would act. Recyclers and government agencies ignored this warning,
so in 2017, China responded with National Sword, a policy that
essentially eliminated imports of single-stream recyclables. As a result,
recycling programs throughout the world were thrown into turmoil.
According to the EPA, measured by
percent of generation, individual
products with the highest recycling
rates in 2018 were:
1)lead-acid batteries at 99%
2)corrugated boxes at 96.5%
3)steel cans at 70.9%
4)newspapers at 64.8%
5)major appliances at 59.8%
6)aluminum cans at 50.4%
7)mixed paper at 43.1%
8)tires at 40%
9)selected consumer electronics
at 38.5%
High rates for these materials
prove that markets for them do
exist; getting them to market while
preserving their quality is the
challenge.
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Many people took away the wrong message from these changes in
Chinese import policies. While China and other Asian nations will
no longer accept contaminated recyclables generated by single-
stream programs, demand for clean, well-sorted materials is robust.
In fact, as the U.S. builds its domestic recycling infrastructure in
response to National Sword, China is the leading investor in U.S.-
based paper, plastic and electronic scrap reclamation ventures that
send clean materials to Asia for processing.
Although Hawai’i County’s recycling programs were seriously
impacted by these changes, opportunities to rebuild them in ways
that address concerns about the potentially negative impacts of
recycling abound. Outreach conducted as part of this plan has
verified that international brokers are eager to accept clean, well-
sorted materials freight on board (FOB) at ports in Hilo and
Kawaihae.
The solution to Hawai’i Island’s recycling dilemma is to tap into core
values shared among Hawaiʻi County’s multicultural citizenry. With
nearly 85% of islanders accustomed to dropping off their own
discards, a proven track record of producing high quality materials
prior to the introduction of mixed recycling, and the popularity of
informal, community-based plastic collections already underway,
expanding public drop-off recycling sites and creating
opportunities for the public to sort materials makes sense. Once
clean recyclables are sorted into more categories and baled for
shipment, they can be exported to meet growing demand ffor them
on the Continental U.S. as well as in Asian countries.
Kate Bailey, co-founder of the
Alliance of Mission Based
Recyclers, deems these
components essential for a
recycling system that works:
1) Extended producer
responsibility to embed waste
handling costs into the
purchase price of products
2) Deposit return system to
drive participation and increase
capture rates of beverage
containers
3) Minimum recycled content
requirements to improve
market demand for recyclables
and reduce the environmental
impact of packaging, and
4) Source reduction targets and
funding, including a focus on
refillable and returnable
containers
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Relevant Trends:
The 2020 Global Commitment Progress Report details
actions taken by the initiative’s 500 signatories over the
previous year. A total of 118 businesses that produce,
use and recycle large volumes of packaging are on
record committing to significantly reduce the waste their
business models generate. As a result of this type of
action, for the first time in decades, the amount of virgin
plastic produced worldwide decreased in 2019.
Corporations and governments are taking significant
actions outside the Global Commitment as well. Some of
these are listed below:
▪Spain will tax plastic packaging starting in 2023 in
order to drastically reduce plastic waste; among
the products banned are cotton buds, plastic
straws and cutlery.
▪Diageo, makers of Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and
Guinness have created the world's first 100%
plastic-free, paper-based spirits bottle, made
entirely from sustainably sourced wood. Unilever
and PepsiCo are project partners.
▪Refillable containers are being introduced by
Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Nestle, PepsiCo,
Mondelez International and Daone, with the result
being 300 products marketed in reusable
packaging either online through Loop and other
e-commerce sites or at brick-and-mortar locations.
▪Bans on single-use plasticware in Berkeley and San
Francisco, California are stimulating development of
businesses that provide reusable takeout
containers.
▪Microsoft has pledged to achieve zero waste in its
products and packaging by 2030; 90% of the
materials currently discarded from Microsoft’s direct
operations will be diverted from landfill and
incineration within a decade.
▪In 2020, Closed Loop Partners piloted a reusable
cup program in collaboration with Starbucks and
McDonald’s in the San Francisco Bay Area.
▪By the time Pure Cycle Technologies completed
construction of its first PPE recycling plant in
Ironton, Ohio, the company had pre-sold to major
corporations all the recycled plastic feedstock it will
produce for the next 20 years.
▪By 2025, H&M Group will cease using polystyrene,
mulitlayer materials, undetectable carbon black,
poly-bags, sachets, single-use carrier bags, single-
use hangers, plastic windows and tear-offs.
▪By 2030, Lego, which makes almost 100,000 tons of
plastic bricks each year, will stop using resins made
from fossil fuels.
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The Plastics Pact Network
The ambitious vision of a circular economy for plastics has inspired the
launch of the Plastics Pact Network of initiatives, which now covers 20
countries—representing over 30% of global GDP—with a total of nine
Plastics Pacts launched to date across Europe, the U.S., Chile, and South
Africa. Each pact represents a partnership between businesses,
governments and NGOs focused on solving the crises driven by plastic
pollution. Based on a common vision, they set plastic reduction targets
and require commitments for public reporting on progress.The U.S.
Plastics Pact is led by The Recycling Partnership which works in conjunction
with the World Wildlife Fund to achieve the goals of the Global
Commitment.
The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative
Launched in 2020, this initiative is led by UNEP and the World Tourism
Organization in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Its
signatories are committed to taking action to reduce plastic waste and
pollution in the global tourism sector.This initiative also serves as the
interface with the Global Commitment.
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
IN THE TOURISM SECTOR
The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative lists 61
signatories at last count, including Accor, Club
Med, Iberostar Group, and Melco Resorts. No
Hawaii resorts have signed on to date.
THE U.S. PLASTICS PACT
AIMS TO DELIVER ON
THESE GOALS:
TARGET #1—Problematic and
unnecessary plastics are
identified by 2021 and
eliminated by 2025.
TARGET #2—All plastic packaging
is 100% reusable, recyclable or
compostable by 2025.
TARGET #3—50% of plastic
packaging is effectively
composted or recycled by 2025.
TARGET #4—All plastic packaging
is 30% recycled content or
responsibly sourced bio-based
plastic by 2025.
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All WTE schemes come with a need for sustained waste generation that cannot
be justified at a time when Earth’s natural resources are being depleted. As
momentum in favor of EPR legislation builds and significant infrastructure
investments drive expansion of the U.S. recycling industry, long term
commitments to sustain current levels of wastefulness are not prudent.
Recycling and composting have always been the preferred strategies for
handling discarded items that cannot be reused, and WTE technologies, no
matter how advanced, and regardless of whether they outsource the
combustion aspect by producing fuels, undermine efforts to reduce waste.
Proponents often cite Denmark’s embrace of WTE as a way to validate the
technology’s acceptability and worth, but in 2018, the country that has been
incinerating waste the longest made a commitment to cut its existing WTE
capacity by a full 30% over the next 10 years.This reversal in Denmark’s energy
policy is a critical component of its carbon emission reduction plan.
It is also important to note that Japan, the country with the most experience
gasifying solid waste, has reduced its WTE capacity by retiring 600 of its 1,800
gasification plants in recent years.
Rather than anticipate advancements that might someday make gasification or
pyrolysis technologies acceptable, the county should take immediate action to
achieve the environmental and economic goals set forth in its general and
community development plans as well as its climate action initiative through the
reduction of waste. A more in-depth review of WTE is provided as an
addendum to this plan.
Other sources of information
on gasification and pyrolysis
technology relevant to Hawaii
County’s needs include:
1) “Waste Gasification &
Pyrolysis: High Risk, Low Yield
Processes for Waste
Management—A Technology
Risk Analysis”prepared by The
Global Anti-Incineration Alliance
in 2017
2) “All Talk and No Recycling: An
Investigation of the U.S.
Chemical Recycling Industry”
2020
3) “European Incineration
Myths,”issued by Zero Waste
Europe in 2020. This document
summarizes the variety of
measures recently taken to
discourage investment in all
future solid waste incineration
technology.
What about Waste-to-Energy?
34
SEND IT ALONG
PLASTICS=11%
Although plastic waste accounts for a relatively small percentage of the
total tonnage collected on Hawaii Island each year, diverting it from the
landfill presents an outsized challenge.This is primarily due to plastic’s
ubiquitous use as a packaging material in direct contact with food and the
fact that most of it is only recyclable in theory.
Low value materials like film plastics that satisfy manufacturers’ demands
for least cost packaging options become useless once they are
contaminated with food waste. Until recently, #5 plastic was considered
non-recyclable because of its tendency to absorb food odors.
Compostable alternatives do exist and although their use for food service
seems ideal, they come with issues related to the use of harmful
plasticizers (such as PFAS and PFOS), the sustainability of the feedstocks
used to produce them, and the need for composting facilities that can
break them down and return their organic components, along with those
originating from food contaminants, to the soil. Although the use of
compostable bioplastics is a strategy recommended by The Global
Commitment, they cannot be universally substituted for fossil fuel plastics.
Markets for clean, well sorted plastics do exist and recent attempts by
local adherents to the Precious Plastics Movement have proven that
significant interest in this type of activity exists to warrant clean stream
pilot programs. Clean stream collections can occur outside the system of
county transfer stations provided that the collected materials do not
resemble waste.
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The popular claim that only 9% of the plastics ever produced
have been recycled is misleading. Most of the plastic ever
produced is still in use, including billions of tons of PVC piping
designed to never be replaced. Recycling rates for single use
plastics vary; for example, the U.S. recycling rate for PET bottles
was 27.9% in 2019. Creating markets for recyclable plastics is a
key component of The Global Commitment, which encourages
governments to set post-consumer resin targets for both
products and packaging. Numerous trends indicate that these
markets are set to expand significantly.
A new law in California mandates that, by 2022, all plastic
beverage containers sold in the state must contain at least 15%
post consumer resin, with this percentage increasing to 25% by
2025 and 50% by 2030. Failure to meet the required targets
draws a whopping 20-cent per pound penalty for every pound a
manufacturer falls short.The National Association for PET
Container Resources estimates that the U.S. would have to recycle
over 54% of the PET it currently uses to achieve a 25% recycled
content target; whereas a 94% recycling rate would be needed to
meet a 50% target.
This plan calls on Hawaii County to respond to the trends driving
the expansion of the U.S. plastics recycling industry, including the
Basel Convention which effectively prohibits export of plastic
waste to foreign markets. Developing clean stream collection
pilot programs now is the best way to prepare county residents,
business owners and visitors for the changes ahead. Hawaii Island
is uniquely positioned to meet market demand for clean, well
sorted plastics.
PETE:(polyethylene terephthalate)a commonly used
plastic found in most water and soda bottles
HDPE:(high-density polyethylene) a stiff plastic used for
milk jugs, detergent bottles and toys. It is the most often
recycled and one of the safest forms of plastic.
PVC:(polyvinyl chloride) dubbed “poison plastic,” PVC
contains a number of toxins and is not recyclable.
LDPE:(low-density polyethylene) found in shrink wraps,
squeezable bottles, and grocery bags, LDPE is considered
relatively safe. It is not commonly recycled.
PP:(polypropylene) tough and lightweight, PP is mainly
used for packaging food.
PS:(polystyrene) cheap and lightweight, PS is used to
make Styrofoam products and packing “peanuts.”
Other:a catch-all category for less common plastics.rces
of infor
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WASTE-TO-WEALTH
TEXTILES= 2.6%
Second to oil, the global textile industry is the greatest non-military
source of pollution on the planet. It generates roughly 100 billion
garments each year, most of them used an average of six times. In the
process, a total of 1.2 billion tons of GHGs are generated, which is
more than the global aviation and maritime shipping industries
combined.Together, textile manufacture and use represent the single
greatest source of plastic microfiber pollution; about 500 thousand
tons of plastic microfibers end up in the ocean annually when plastic
textiles are washed, the equivalent to over 50 billion plastic bottles.
Once in the ocean, these microfibers infiltrate other natural systems;
today, they are found in over 83% of the world’s drinking water.
Although the zero waste philosophy prioritizes reuse, reusing plastic
clothing leads to more and more microplastic pollution, with the
amount of microfibers released during washing increasing as an article
of clothing wears out. Exporting used clothing is a form of exporting
microplastic pollution, and the high volume of cheap plastic clothing
typically found in shipments to developing nations is also a source of
nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions.As a GHG, N2O is 310 times more
potent than CO2.
Another critical concern for developing nations is the impact a
seemingly unending source of cheap garments has on small-scale,
traditional textile manufacturing enterprises geared towards the use of
natural fibers.
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Addressing the impact textile and garment manufacturing have on the
environment is a huge challenge that will require major changes at every
step of the value chain from design and production, consumption and
use, and disposal and recycling.An estimated 63% of all textiles are
made with plastic fibers, which is why they are categorized as plastic
rather than organic waste in this plan.As with other plastic waste,
elimination strategies targeting materials that cannot be safely reused,
practically recycled or composted are needed.
According to the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association,
45% all used clothing and household textiles can be re-used as apparel;
30% can be converted into industrial polishing/wiping cloths; and 20%
can be processed into fiber for the remanufacture of new products.
Achieving this 95% recovery rate and avoiding secondary environmental
impacts requires proper handling.
In Hawaii, preserving and harvesting the value of discarded textiles
means stockpiling them in mildew-free environments. Preventing
microplastic pollution requires water filtration and the proper disposal of
captured fibers.
Programs dedicated exclusively to the collection of unwanted textiles are
needed. Given the level of care clothing receive on a regular basis,
diverting them to such programs is relatively easy; the challenge comes
with handling the volume, which in Hawaii County amounts to about 5.5
tons per year. DEM does require the vendor that manages its reuse
centers to accept used clothing, but, like all other clothing reuse outlets
The environmental impacts of an
industry that produces 100 billion
garments a year cannot be ignored.
Satisfying annual global demand for
clothing consumes 39 billion gallons
of water, 23% of all the chemicals
produced worldwide, and leads to
20% of the world’s industrial water
pollution. It takes 70 million barrels
of oil to produce enough polyester
to meet global demand. Plant-based
fibers offer some benefits, but only if
the feedstocks for them are grown
organically and harvested
sustainably.
When it comes to climate, according
to McKinsey & Company, if 80% of
people in emerging economies
consumed clothing at the same rate
as Americans, by 2025, global CO2
emissions would increase a full 77%.
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on the island, the vendor limits the quantity it accepts in order to
avoid being overwhelmed.
Expanding Hawaii County’s capacity to accept and process
unwanted textiles will require a significant investment of capital
and human resources; given the upstream impacts of this waste,
the effort is justified. Charitable organizations that focus on
creating opportunities for the underemployed should be engaged
to stand up the program; demand for handmade, eco-friendly,
haute couture should be taken advantage of to sustain it.
Reclaiming textiles is a water intensive process.The potential for
making industrial use of the R2 water coming out of Hawaii Island
wastewater treatment plants for textile reprocessing should be
explored as a means to attract outside financing and share the
costs of replacing existing infrastructure.
ACTION: Require commercial laundromats to install plastic microfiber filters.
ACTION: Collaborate with other counties to introduce legislation requiring the addition of
plastic microfiber filters on all washing machines sold in the state.
ACTION: Solicit proposals for textile diversion programs.
ACTION: Engage private foundations and workforce development agencies in exploring the
feasibility of a natural fiber textile reprocessing pilot program.
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ELECTRONICS=?
According to research done by U.S.PIRG, the average American family
generates 176 pounds of electronic waste per year which equates to a
national total of 6.9 million tons annually, while repairing these items instead
of discarding them would save the same family $433 per year and provide the
nation $40 billion in annual savings. With only outdated waste composition
studies to rely on, determining the percentage of discarded electronics in
Hawaii County’s wastestream is a guessing game. Using the PIRG average,
island families would generate an astonishing 5,632 tons per year.
Hawaii’s e-waste program only covers computers, related equipment and TVs.
It generates about $350k per year through fees assessed on manufacturers
who must register with DOH in order to sell these items in the state.The fees
do not come close to covering e-waste collection costs, which for the most
part, are borne by registrants. Under the state program, manufacturers submit
a recycling plan each year, which they then implement at their discretion.The
state does not impose any goals for the program and there is nothing in the
law that mandates the provision of recycling services for outer islands. As a
result, manufacturers are free to meet the arbitrary goals they set for
themselves by collecting computer equipment and TVs on Oahu.
This system leaves Hawaii County to develop and fund e-waste collections on
its own. DOH does remit a portion of the registration fees it collects to DEM;
and in 2020, this amounted to $160k, approximately 46% of the total
registration revenue collected in FY19.Clearly the law that established the
state’s e-waste program in 2009 needs revision.
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It is also important for the state to set goals for the program.This plan
recommends that Hawaii County DEM work with its counterparts and DOH
to establish goals that increase over time until all discarded electronics are
collected and diverted to repair or recycling programs.
Hawaii’s existing e-waste program also fails to address the waste created
when other electronics are sent to the landfill. Hawaii County does run a
program that collects large appliances, also known as white goods, but this
program only scraps these items to salvage metal. When it comes to
preserving the value of electronics, the highest priority should be repair. A
national movement to pushback against planned obsolescence, called the
“Right to Repair,” is gaining momentum globally, and its proponents have
developed pilot projects across the U.S.
ACTION: Collaborate with Maui and Kauai to introduce and
pass legislation requiring manufacturers to provide
collection services to the outer islands.
ACTION: Collaborate with Maui and Kauai to introduce and
pass legislation mandating an expansion of the state’s e-
waste program to include solar equipment that has reached
the end of its useful life.
ACTION: Partner with non-profit organizations to attract
funding for appliance repair workshops.
ACTION: Support the introduction of Right-to-Repair
legislation at the state level.
In May 2021, the Federal Trade
Commission released a long awaited
report regarding claims that
manufacturers purposely limit repairs of
their products as a means to boost
profits. Its primary conclusion: Repair
restrictions are bad for consumers and
likely to place a greater financial burden
on communities of color and lower-
income Americans.
To quote the report: “There is scant
evidence to support manufacturers’
justifications for repair restrictions. . . the
majority of manufacturers’ explanations
for repair restrictions are not supported
by the record.”
To address the issue, the FTC
recommends introduction of new
legislation to lift restrictions and open
repair markets.This comes on the heels
of a vote by the European Parliament to
endorse a European Union
recommendation to enact right-to-repair
legislation as a means to extend the life
of electronic devices and reduce waste.
The FTC based its conclusions on
research it conducted in preparation for
a ”Nixing the Fix” workshop it held in
July of 2019.
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ABANDONED VEHICLES
As the most profitable resource recovery industry in the world, automobile
recycling offers the greatest waste-to-wealth potential among the programs
promoted in this plan. Each year, DEM collects approximately 1,000 abandoned
vehicles from private, county and state roadways with the help of a private
contractor hired to haul them away.This program is funded by the $12-fee
collected when vehicles are registered annually, and accrues over $2M per year.
In FY18/19, the most recent year for which figures are available, sales of
auctionable vehicles generated $31, 692 in revenue for the county.
DEM is currently planning to expand its capacity to hold abandoned vehicles.
An existing lot will be reconfigured to hold 100 impounded vehicles, and a
5,000 sq.-ft.covered space will be added to store and preserve the value of up
to 25 vehicles that are deemed auctionable.
Taking greater advantage of this resource requires a means for making
collected vehicles available to private sector dismantlers and safely handling
the hazardous metals, refrigerants and fluids found in them. Obtaining the
permits needed to handle these substances would also allow DEM to collect
used motor oil from the public, which would greatly increase the efficacy of the
state used motor oil program.
ACTION: Establish a program that makes abandoned vehicles available to
private sector dismantlers.
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REUSE CENTERS
Hawaii County’s islandwide system of depots that accept
reusable materials is one of its more successful programs and a
prime example of how providing the public resource recovery
opportunities provides jobs and promotes resiliency.
The success of this program can be attributed to its co-location
with county transfer stations. Keeping the same hours as waste
operations and locating adjacent to them makes diversion
convenient for the public; while access to prime real estate and
a steady stream of materials, both at no cost, greatly increases
profitability for the private contractor that manages seven of the
county’s eight reuse centers. (The Laupahoehoe Reuse Center is
managed by community volunteers.) Additional county support
comes in the form of a monthly subsidy, which, from May 2019
to April 2020, amounted to more than $25k, and in the
following year, just over $14k.
Although it’s impossible to say how long materials initially
diverted through this program stay out of the landfill, the county
does track the volume of unsellable materials that eventually get
off-loaded by center operators. From 2018 through 2020, this
totalled approximately 116 tons.
DEM estimates that, as of 2018, the total volume of materials
diverted since the county reuse program began in 2003 was
3,000 tons.Throughout this period, reuse centers operating on
the east side of the island have consistently diverted close to
twice the amount diverted by those located on the west side.
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A photo of the Keaau Reuse Center that clearly
illustrates the need for additional covered space.
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Another major consideration for this county program, or private
reuse enterprises, is the vast difference in climate conditions
between the east and west sides. Dry conditions in leeward areas
make it far easier to preserve the value of reusable materials,
especially items like mattresses and textiles.
Although reuse strategies offer the greatest potential for creating
jobs and generating wealth, the county does little to capitalize on
such opportunities. Instead it diminishes this potential by limiting
its reuse program to what is essentially an ongoing, islandwide
rummage sale. Maximizing the economic benefits of reusable
items requires a commitment to preserve and increase their value,
which in turn requires a means for properly storing and marketing
them. Another level of value is added when opportunities to make
repairs are provided.
Providing additional covered space for reuse activities, especially
on the windward side of the island, is the first step to rectifying the
situation, but the county must also commit to restoring program
subsidies so the contractor that manages the facilities can afford to
invest in improvements. The current policy of drawing down on
funding to make the program more self-sufficient has severely
degraded the reuse experience. This approach can only lead to
decreased diversion and participation rates.
ACTION: Provide additional covered space for reuse activities.
ACTION: Increase reuse program funding.
ACTION: Expand reuse programs to include repair activities.
A photo of the Keaau Reuse Center that clearly
illustrates the need for facility improvements.
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The Solid Waste Division operates and maintains, either
with its own workforce or through contracted services,
one landfill, 22 transfer stations and islandwide hauling
operations in accordance with local, state and federal
guidelines and regulations. The Solid Waste Division
also maintains operational base yards in South Hilo,
Waimea, and Kealakehe. There is no public residential
curbside collection on Hawai’i Island, and an estimated
85% of residents haul their discards to one of the 22
transfer stations. These facilities provide chutes that
deliver mixed discards into large transportable
compacting containers; some of the stations also
provide roll-off bins for recyclables. They are not open
for use by commercial generators, who either haul their
own discards to the landfill (self-haul) or hire a contract
hauler. A small percentage of residents also hire the
same hauling companies, some of which advertise
recycling services as well.
Six transfer stations (Kea‘au, Kalapana, Hilo, Kaʻauhuhu,
Keʻei, and Waiʻōhinu) have sufficient space (over 10
acres) for additional collection and processing
operations. These sites are also well suited for the
development of community engagement programs.
Collectively, the above-mentioned sites serve a
population of approximately 69,500 people.
The system of 22 transfer stations that provide Hawaii Island
residents, business owners and visitors with convenient and
safe drop-off locations for the things they no longer want
evolved as part of an outdated approach that treats all discards
as waste. Maintaining the facilities and manning the operations
that comprise this system are costly endeavors, and when the
end result of this expense and effort is a continued drain on
planetary resources, increased greenhouse gas emissions and
pollution that cannot be controlled, those costs cannot be
justified. Diverting materials from the landfill as a means to
reduce Hawaii Island’s carbon footprint, create jobs, build soil
and displace consumption of virgin resources are primary goals
of this plan. In order to achieve them, a new system for
handling discarded materials is needed.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Map by Melody Euaparadorn
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Over the past several decades, DEM has made an effort
to provide for recycling activities when improving its
transfer stations, but as long as the main purpose of the
county system is to accommodate more wastefulness,
reduction programs will be ancillary. Transforming the
entire system into one that encourages and facilitates
resourcefulness is a huge undertaking, especially in high
population areas. The degree to which the system
depends on costly hauling operations of both waste and
recyclables must be also be addressed.
DEM maintains a list of needed infrastructure
improvements as part of its ongoing commitment to
keep up with growing demand for its services, and
funding requests for them are added to DEM’s budget
annually, often in increments that accrue until the full
amount for a specific project is attained. Implementing
this provision of the plan requires a reassessment of
DEM’s existing budget to determine how funds could be
reapportioned in support of its waste reduction goals.
The transfer stations that generate the lowest volumes of
waste are also among the farthest from the West Hawaii
Sanitary Landfill, which makes them ideal locations for
piloting models designed to save operational costs while
promoting resource recovery. Converting these relatively
quiet outposts in rural communities into centers where
families and friends can gather to engage in
environmentally friendly activities is an objective well
worth the investment.
Among the 10 stations collecting less than 4 tons per day, the
Ke’ei Transfer Station, which is located over 38 miles from the
WHSL, offers a unique opportunity for establishing a
community resource recovery center. It is situated on land
owned by Kamehameha Schools, a charitable organization
with the mission of providing educational opportunities that
improve the capability and well-being of people of Hawaiian
ancestry. The arrangement through which the county pays
$10,000/year to lease the land could be restructured to
support the center’s development.
Map by Melody Euaparadorn
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Urban Ore is a 30,000-sq.ft. resource recovery
facility that sits on 3 acres in Berkeley,
California, a municipality with a population of
just over 120k compared to Hawaii Island’s
nearly 190k residents. This for-profit
operation was started in 1990 by Dr.Dan
Knapp (who still manages it today) and
current board members Mary Lou Van
Deventer and Michael Casady.
About 75% of the materials processed at
Urban Ore are dropped off by local residents;
another 25% comes from outside traders who
go out into the community to collect reusable
materials and negotiate sales on high value
items such as antiques.This system is also
used to deliver purchased items to customers.
Urban Ore’s reuse operation currently
provides 32 full-time jobs, while providing a
model resource recovery scheme that
functions within a greater waste diversion
infrastructure like the one illustrated left.Co
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Funding for county waste management programs comes from two sources—
property taxes and landfill tipping fees. In FY20/21, taxpayers will contribute
approximately $25M, while the commercial haulers charged $112 per ton to use
county facilities will contribute about $12M. Although this $37M-budget includes
a significant increase in the amount allocated for landfilling over prior years,
funding for recycling programs, including total expenditures on waste reduction
activities, was slashed a full 33%.
This ongoing state of affairs, in which funding for waste reduction can never be
found, is a direct consequence of a management approach that treats waste
collection and disposal as essential services and diversion strategies as
appurtenances. Using former budgets as templates for future ones drives the
perpetuation of an unsustainable past. In order to achieve the goals set out in this
plan, Hawaii County must commit to providing a dedicated, reliable source of
funding for its implementation; and, in a reversal of DEM’s fiscal priorities, that
commitment must take the form of a strategic zero waste budget developed
independently from the department’s standard budgeting process.
Mapping out the transition from a system that spends $37M a year creating waste
to one that spends the same or less on a system that recovers resources is the
single most important action called for in this plan.The process begins with an
assessment of DEM’s contractual obligations to serve as the basis for the next
critical step—planning a strategic withdrawal from practices that perpetuate waste-
making and replacing them with practices that support resource recovery and
W2W initiatives.The success of the process depends on the director’s ability to
reimagine the county’s waste stream as a wealth stream and identify opportunities
that generate income, either over the long term or during a transitional period.
Some of these opportunities could result in payments to the county; others would
create advantages for private sector businesses or nonprofits.
FUNDING
The Hawaii County Strategic Zero
Waste Budget must include the
following elements:
1) An accounting of existing
contractual obligations, including a
timeline of when those obligations
are set to expire or come up for
renegotiation.
2) An accounting of the
department’s full-time waste-
handling positions and when the
county employees holding those
positions are set to retire.
3) A plan for replacing waste-
handling positions with resource
recovery jobs that includes a training
component.
4) An analysis of waste
reduction actions recommended in
the ISWMP that prioritizes their
implementation and accounts for
their costs.
5) A timeline for the realloca-
tiion of funding from existing obliga-
tions to resource recovery programs.
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A carefully managed transition guided by a strategic budget will
eventually allow the county to dedicate the bulk of its funding to waste
reduction programs, although in the early stages additional funds will
be needed as DEM maintains the old system while crafting the new one.
In its call for the establishment of a Zero Waste Fund, the Hawaii County
ISWMP outlines the following method for generating funding for waste
reduction programs: “To encourage local innovation and participation,
the County would fund community zero waste initiatives with fees levied
on landfill disposal.The County could leverage private sector
investments by adopting supportive policies and by providing technical
assistance, matching funds, and letters of support for independent
financing and/or grants.The more that nonprofits and private
companies invest in expansion of reuse, recycling, and composting
programs, the less the County needs to invest.The County could also
identify and support proposals for state, federal, and foundation grants
and loans for local zero waste businesses and service providers.”
While these suggestions represent a valid means for raising the
necessary funding, acting on them will not negate the need for a
strategic zero waste budget. Developing and adopting such a budget
will greatly enhance the county’s ability to attract funding from outside
sources. It will also assist in the allocation of contributions from
producers as EPR mandates kick in.The transition away from a system
that trashes discarded resources to one that maximizes their resale value
will not occur without a cogent plan for withdrawing funding from the
former and redirecting it to the latter.
EPR Mandates:Requiring producers
to accept responsibility for the impact
their products and packaging have on
municipal waste management systems
is the best way to fund the transition
from wasting to resource recovery.
Tying EPR fees to the volume of waste
produced creates an incentive for
reducing that volume and driving
down EPR costs.
Transitional Zero Waste Fee:The
Hawaii County tax base is supported by
approximately 10,000 lots. A $10/mo.
fee would generate $12M per year and
$60M over a 5-year period.
Point of Sale Donations:The simplest
EPR program of all is one that offers
consumers the opportunity to make
voluntary contributions to zero waste
programs at the time of purchase.The
program could be promoted via a high
profile media campaign that tracks the
amount raised and the progress made
over the transitional period.
TRANSITIONAL FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES
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Concerns over the time needed to fully transition from a
system that makes trash to one that recovers resources
should not thwart development of the strategic zero waste
budget.The county must commit to making the change.
Planning for a reduction in funding for waste collection and
disposal activities signals to outside funding sources that
the commitment is real and worthy of support. It also
prepares the county to efficiently stand up programs in
response to federal and state actions aimed at reducing
plastic pollution.
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ACTION ITEMS
COMPOSTING
Abandon plans for single large-scale composting facility in
favor of a distributed system that prioritizes the needs of
farmers and makes it easy for residential and commercial
generators to divert waste organics.
Require the county parks department to mulch its green waste.
PAPER
Establish private-public partnerships that recover cardboard,
paper bags and newspaper for processing and redistribution to
end-users.
Support the development of pilot projects that turn reclaimed
egg cartons, boxboard, toilet paper rolls and lower grades of
waste paper into useful items.
GLASS
Increase the ADF on glass to 5 cents per eligible container.
C&D
Assess a .05% fee on construction projects over $2M to fund a
C&D collection program that reimburses private sector
reclamation enterprises.
Provide covered areas in For the collection of scrap drywall.
Provide areas for the collection of discarded asphalt paving and
asphalt roofing tiles.
Work with Hawaii Community College to develop resource
awareness curricula for its construction programs.
PLASTIC
Partner with the public to provide monitored, clean stream
collection opportunities.
Develop strategies for capitalizing on the shipping industry’s
unused backhaul capacity to move plastic off-island.
TEXTILES
Require commercial laundromats to install plastic microfiber
filters.
Collaborate with sister counties to introduce legislation
requiring plastic microfiber filters on all washing machines sold
in the state.
Solicit proposals for textile diversion programs.
Engage private foundations and workforce development
agencies in exploring the feasibility of a natural fiber textile
reprocessing pilot program.
ELECTRONICS
Collaborate with sister counties to introduce and pass
legislation requiring manufacturers to provide collection
services to the outer islands.
Collaborate with sister counties to introduce and pass
legislation mandating an expansion of the state’s e-waste
program to include solar equipment that has reached the end of
its useful life.
Partner with non-profit organizations to attract funding for
appliance repair workshops.
Support the introduction of Right-to-Repair legislation at the
state level.
ABANDONED VEHICLES
Establish a program that makes abandoned vehicles available
to private sector dismantlers.
REUSE CENTERS
Provide additional covered space for reuse activities.
Increase reuse program funding.
Expand reuse programs to include repair activities.
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GLOSSARY
Term
Calcium Sulfate
Carbonaceous
Carbon Sequestration
Circular Economy
Closed-loop
Cullet
Down-cycling
Expanded Polystyrene
Gasification
GHG
Green Waste
Gypsum
Invasive Species
Marine Debris
Definition
A calcium salt that is used for a variety of purposes, such as building
materials and desiccants
Consisting of or containing carbon
The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide
An economic system that aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive
society-wide benefits by gradually decoupling economic activity from
the consumption of finite resources and designing out waste
A system where recycling of a material can be done indefinitely without
degradation of properties
Recycled broken or waste glass used in glass making
To recycle something in such a way that the resulting product is of a
lower value than the original item
A rigid cellular plastic that is used for fish boxes, packaging for electrical
consumer goods, and for insulation panels for buildings
A process that converts organic or fossil-based carbonaceous materials
at high temperatures, without combustion, into carbon monoxide,
hydrogen, and carbon dioxide
Abbreviation for greenhouse gas
Solid waste that includes leaves, grass clippings, garden and yard
wastes, tree trunks, holiday trees, tree trimmings, and/or prunings
A soft sulfate mineral, frequently used as the main component in
plaster, fertilizer, chalk, and drywall
An organism that causes ecological or economic harm in a new
environment where it is not native
Any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and
directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or
abandoned into the marine environment
Term
Metalized Film
Microfiber
Microplastics
Mixed Recycling
Multi-layer Packaging
Plasticizers
Polystyrene
Polyvinyl Chloride
Primary Film Poly-bags
PVDC
Pyrolysis
Source Separation
Soil Amendment
Undetectable Carbon Black
UV-C
Vermiculture
Definition
Plastic coated with a thin layer of metal
Extremely fine, synthetic yarn
Fragments of any type of plastic less than 5 mm in length
When all recyclable material is disposed of together
A type of packaging that utilizes multiple layers of various materials,
commonly seen in tetra packs containing milk and juice
A substance added to a synthetic resin to produce or promote
plasticity and flexibility
Commonly referred to as “Styrofoam,” and often used for coffee cups,
takeout containers, and packing material
Also known as PVC, it is used for making items such as bottles, non-
food packaging, and food-covering sheets
Plastic bags commonly used to store and transport goods, such as
handle-less bags
The abbreviation for Polyvinylidene chloride, it is applied as a water-
based coating to other plastic film
The heating of an organic material, in the absence of oxygen
When recyclable material is cleaned and sorted prior to collection
Any material added to a soil to improve its physical properties, such
as water retention, permeability, water infiltration, drainage, aeration
and structure
Black plastic packaging, which is primarily used in fast food trays and
other plastic pots, tubs, and trays
UV-C radiation is a known disinfectant for air, water, and nonporous
surfaces
The cultivation of earthworms
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HAWAII COUNTY
ZERO WASTE PLAN
2021
PREPARED BY RECYCLE HAWAII IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL
SELF-RELIANCE, ZERO WASTE ASSOCIATES AND
HIDDEN RESOURCES.