A number of important developments are in the news
concerning Oahu's waste stream. You can voice your opinion
to the Mayor and City Council regarding the community recycling bin
program and the bill to ban plastic bags. Save our incentives for Waste Reduction!
Are you keeping up
with Oahu's latest trashy developments?
- A debate is brewing about where to place Oahu's next landfill and the growth of HPOWER. But where is the public discussion
about waste reduction and recycling?
- The City and County of Honolulu will be placing signs on community recycling bins
around Oahu this weekend to notify the public that it is ending its white community bins program and renewing efforts to expand curbside and
condo recycling. How will the end of the community bins affect you or your school? How can we improve our community recycling efforts?
- The Honolulu City Council APPROVED Bill 10
last week that would prohibit businesses from providing
nonbiodegradable plastic bags to their customers at the point of sale
effective July 1, 2015 IF the mayor signs the bill.
Get involved and let your voice be heard...
*Save Community Recycling Bins
Please send in your support to the Honolulu City Council this
morning to help keep Recycling at your school and/or keep the allocation
of funding toward Recycling programs at schools throughout the island.
Here's some helpful tips from our partner
Kanu Hawaii.
If the Community Recycling program ends, schools will lose an important
source of community-supported funding. Since the start of the program,
participating schools have received more than $1 million in returns for
the cardboard, paper, and HI-5's collected in these bins. Many schools
host monthly recycling drives that student activities clubs and after
school programs rely on for funding.
Ending the recycling program sends the wrong message to the next
generation of student stewards of the environment who have been
learning and practicing recycling in their classrooms and homes.
The Community Recycling Bins are an important community resource. Have you used the white bins? Tell them why.
The
White Bins provide community-supported funding for crucial after school
programs, sports, and student clubs. This funding is especially
important during a time when many creative and active programs in school
are being cut from the curriculum due to budget constraints.
Thank
them for their leadership and willingness to send a strong message that
the City and County of Honolulu supports student and community efforts
to reduce waste and is committed to recycling.
This budget allocation has
support from Ann Kobayashi, chair of the Budget Committee, and Ernie
Martin, chair of the City Council. They need to hear that the community
supports this program in order to pass the amendment.
Can you take 2 minutes now to send them an email?
Testify in person this Thursday, May 10th at 9:00 am in the Council’s Committee Room in Honolulu Hale. Testimony can be faxed to 768-3827 or emailed above.
*Send Bag Ban Letters of Support to Mayor Carlisle by Wednesday!
Mayor
Carlisle said he'd review the bill and accept public input before making
a decision on whether to sign it. Send a letter to Mayor Carlisle,
urging him to sign the bill into law. Send your letter via fax
808-768-4242 or email
mayor@honolulu.gov, or call the Mayor's office at
808-768-4141.
Here is a sample letter you can use and personalize:
SUBJECT: Plastic Bag Ban, Bill 10 - SUPPORT
Dear Honorable Mayor Carlisle,
Please support and sign into law Bill 10, an ordinance to prohibit
businesses from providing nonbiodegradable plastic bags to their
customers at the point of sale. Plastic ocean pollution is a global
issue, with regional solutions. Hawaii's ocean-based economy is
threatened by plastic bags that litter our beaches and streets and harm
marine wildlife.
Reducing single-use plastics is of utmost importance for the benefit our
island and passage of this bill will positively impact the people,
economy, wildlife, and environment of Hawaii.
Maui, Kauai, and most recently Hawaii Counties have already passed
ordinances to move towards this, and it's time for Honolulu County to do
the same.
Please sign Bill 10 to keep Honolulu green. Thank you for your leadership on this issue.
Sincerely,
NAME, ADDRESS, EMAIL, PHONE
