KA HŌKEO HOʻIHOʻI
Hilo Reusable Foodware System
About the Project
Zero Waste Hawaiʻi Island, Perpetual, the County of Hawaiʻi, and University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Program are collaborating to design and implement a reusable foodware system in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This initiative aims to eliminate waste by establishing a system for reusing takeout cups and containers. Managed by a service provider responsible for collecting, sanitizing, and redistributing containers, the program will incorporate essential infrastructure from the outset, including a dishwashing facility, transport vehicles, return bins, and container tracking technology. Serving as a city-scale demonstration project, our goal is to showcase the economic viability of reuse as a solution to waste reduction, setting a precedent for adoption in communities worldwide.
Project Funding
EPA’s Solid Waste Recycling Infrastructure Grant: The County of Hawaiʻi has been awarded $1.5 million to support infrastructure essential for the reusable foodware system. This includes funding for transport vehicles, return bins, a dishwasher, and tracking technology.
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grants - Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products: Hawaiʻi Sea Grant has received $622,000 to provide technical assistance enabling businesses and organizations to transition to the reuse system. This grant also supports the provision of equipment to local businesses, schools, and community organizations with meal programs.
Reusable Foodware System Design
The system design for Hilo has been informed by extensive research and engagement in the Hilo community itself. The recommended design takes into consideration the community’s physical as well as social assets. A team from the University of Georgia conducted their Circularity Assessment Protocol in Hilo, documenting the existing waste systems and confirming Hilo as a strong candidate for a reuse system. Proposed asset placement and routing have been informed by a team of data scientists at the University of Chicago and an environmental life cycle assessment was completed by experts at the University of Michigan. Each element of the system and the system as a whole have been evaluated to provide an effective and seamless experience for businesses, community members, and tourists.
The document will serve as the Hilo system design plan which incorporates input gathered from community and stakeholder workshops, knowledge from the reuse industry (to ensure alignment with current industry capabilities), and continued engagement with representatives from disadvantaged communities. This plan outlines the framework for a reuse system, addresses crucial aspects such as costs for businesses, strategic locations for collection bins, governance model, the types of containers to begin with, and more!
How Reuse Works
Why Reuse?
Reuse is essential for creating a sustainable future. By shifting from single-use to reusable systems, we can significantly reduce waste, conserve resources, and mitigate climate change. Reuse maintains the original form of products, extending their lifecycle and reducing the need for new raw materials, unlike recycling, which often involves energy-intensive processes.
The benefits of reuse extend beyond environmental impact. It generates economic opportunities by creating jobs in the collection, cleaning, and redistribution of reusable items. It also offers long-term cost savings for businesses and consumers as durable goods replace the constant need for disposable alternatives.
Given our remote location in Hawai’i, recycling is complicated by logistical challenges and the lack of existing infrastructure. Starting with reuse makes sense as it aligns with the zero waste hierarchy, emphasizing waste prevention and resource efficiency.
To make reuse widely adopted, we need to normalize these practices, making them as convenient as disposable options. This involves developing infrastructure, creating incentives, and implementing supportive policies.
The reuse movement aims to build a circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible, extracting maximum value before recovery and regeneration. By supporting reuse, we contribute to a healthier planet and a more resilient economy.
Zero-Waste Hierarchy
The zero-waste hierarchy outlines a series of strategies and actions aimed at supporting a broader zero-waste system. Adopting the familiar pyramid structure seen in most hierarchical diagrams, it expands on the 3R’s framework (reduce, reuse, recycle), establishing a prioritized list of the most to the least effective use of materials in terms of their role in a zero-waste system.
