This document discusses zero-waste and sustainability education efforts in Hawaii. It explains that zero-waste aims to minimize landfill waste by organizing recycling, composting, and proper disposal. Data from a pumpkin patch event at Hawaii Preparatory Academy showed that 69% of waste was compostable and only 11% actually went to the landfill. The document advocates for expanding sustainability education in Hawaii to preserve the native environment and culture. The author's goal is to promote zero-waste initiatives throughout Hawaiian communities and schools.

1. Zero-Waste
and
Sustainability Education
By: Elijah Anakalea-Buckley

2. What is Zero-Waste?
● Zero-Waste is a system that minimizes the amount of trash that
goes into the landfill through a method of organization in
rubbish.
● From recycling to decomposing materials, zero-waste only
sends necessary materials into a landfill.
● This program was set up by Hawaii Prep’s own Noah Dodd, a
middle and high school garden coordinator helping with reviving
native and sustainable plants of Hawaii.
● He is constantly working with the land to produce healthy,
sustainable foods for Hawaii. He and others created this system
to lessen the damage on the land with off island trash.

3. How to?
● Separating certain plastics, foods and paper
goods to either decompose or recycle helps
our landfill situation.
● With some volunteers and help this system
is extremely efficient and effective.

4. Our class separating all the rubbish from our local Pumpkin Patch

5. The composting Process,
HPA Upper campus

6. Data
bins Total number of bags
collected
Ave weight of
each bag (lbs.)
Total weight (lbs.) % collected by
weight
Major items identified
in bags
Compostable 66 8.89 586.74 69 Serving plates, napkins,
forks, spoons, food, paper,
wood
Mixed Recycle 13 4.90 63.70 7.5 Foil, shiny plastic
HI5 26 4.00 104.00 12.3 Cans, plastic bottles, glass
Land fill 20 4.50 90.00 11.0 Styrofoam, plastic cups
(shave ice), used diapers,
disposable gloves
Total weight
(lbs.)
844.44 lbs 100%

7. Zero-Waste Station
Landfill
● Styrofoam
● Certain Tin
Foil
● Certain
Plastics
Compost
● Food
● Paper
Plates
● Paper
Napkins
● Certain
Plastics
● Used
Cardboard
● Any wood
Hi-5
● All Hi-5
Bottles
● All Hi-5
Cans
Mixed
Recycle
● Clean
Cardboard
● Certain
Bottles
● Certain
Cans

8. Why Use Zero-Waste?
● Not only does Zero-Waste minimize the amount of trash
going into the landfill, but it helps bring back nutrients
and life into the land helping other plants and foods
grow.
● This action helps better our air quality and feeds the
people. Having this cycle is the true meaning of
sustainability.

9. Hawaii

10. Hawaii
● The culture and directive in Hawaii are perfect for
sustaining and revitalizing native Hawaiian plants through
programs and hunting restrictions for native species.
● Expanding sustainability has become a major priority as a
people, we are taking initiative to preserve and protect the
land and resources (ex: Mauna Kea and the World Wide
Voyage).
● The Hawaiian islands have close to if not all 13 climates
that exist.

11. Waimea
● A great example would be my home town of Waimea
● It is such a short range of town we can have some of
the heaviest mist in the country while being able to still
grow coconut and mango(coastal plants).
● This variety of climates and the richness of Hawaiis
ecosystem lets different growing practices flourish, as
well as livestock and fishing.
● We are only 20 minutes away from the beach while
right next to the highest mountain in the world.

12. Hawaii Prep
Hawaii Preparatory
Academy is a college
prep school based
around the idea of
community and
sustainability.

13. HPA 2
● Hawaii Prep has a completely off the grid building called
the Energy Lab where programming and computer
classes take place.
● It was created to start a system that most efficiently
uses natural resources in the school.
● We also have a garden directed towards the old
Hawaiian planting styles, trying to sustain Hawaii with
its own culture instead of business and industry.

15. Education
Many colleges in the world offer sustainability
courses and degrees to help better their
environment and I ask, “Why not Hawaii?”

16. Goal...
One of my goals for the community
is to spread the Zero-Waste initiative
even further, so that we can reduce
the damage being done to Hawaii. I
hope that this system will be in every
community and then moved into
school systems, helping
communities become blue zones
with new forms of compost.

17. Hope...
I hope that one day my island and neighbor
islands will have college courses on
sustainability and technology helping to
educate everyone about environmental
problems and the steps we can take to reduce
our impact on our living systems.

18. Mahalo Nui Loa!