THE MAYOR’S COMMUNITY MEETINGS ON RECYCLING
Provided Forums for New Data and Public Input

Former Mayor Mufi Hannemann held seven community meetings on recycling throughout Oahu in April and May 2007 to gather residents’ input and ideas for developing a sustainable recycling system. The meetings served as a venue for the City to present new data from comprehensive studies that analyze Honolulu ’s solid waste stream and its programs.

Presentation/Handouts The presentation and meeting discussions were dynamic, and we encouraged all those interested in this topic to attend and participate. But for those who just could not attend and for those who wanted to review the information from the meetings afterward, we posted as much as possible here: RW Beck Studies/Reports Comparison of Material Recycling-Energy Recycling (pdf format) 2006 Final Waste Characterization Study (pdf format) Brochure -- Recycling & Disposal Guide for Oahu (pdf format) Display Boards (pdf format) Video clips Meeting flyer (pdf format) Your feedback via email is welcome.

The Mayor’s Community Meetings on Recycling were held on:
Monday, April 9, 7 - 8:30 p.m.,
Mililani Mauka Elementary
Recap of meeting discussion

Tuesday, April 24, 7 - 8:30 p.m.,
Kaiser High School
Recap of meeting discussion

Wednesday, April 25, 7 - 8:30 p.m.,
Kahuku High School
Recap of meeting discussion

Tuesday, May 8, 7 - 8:30 p.m.,
Mission Memorial Auditorium
Recap of meeting discussion

Thursday, May 10, 7 - 8:30 p.m., Windward Community College
Recap of meeting discussion

Monday, May 21, 7 - 8:30 p.m., Kapolei Hale
Recap of meeting discussion

A seventh meeting, geared toward Oahu’s youth, was held on Saturday, May 12. Invitations were extended to high school student leaders.
Saturday, May 12 (Teen Meeting)
Recap of meeting discussion

The mayor to attended each meeting to personally hear residents’ and students’ thoughts and ideas.

"Creating a consciousness among our populace - from our youth to our kupuna - that we need to work toward developing a sustainable 21st Century Ahupua‘a is a noteworthy goal for Oahu," said the mayor.

"How we manage our island’s waste will affect generations to come," said Hannemann. "It is important to do our homework to develop the most effective, efficient and environmentally sound plan that will produce the highest results in diverting refuse from the landfill. It is just as important to consider the bigger picture and ensure that our waste management practices contribute to our island’s sustainability."

"Now that key research is being completed, we are ready to present various collection scenarios and their costs to the public while asking for constructive input. We must put our heads together and work as a team to do right for Hawaii. Oahu is our home. It’s our responsibility to step up to do more to preserve our precious aina," said Hannemann.

Seattle-based management and engineering services consulting company R.W. Beck, which had been contracted by the City to conduct a series of studies on Oahu’s refuse system, presented new data on Oahu’s waste composition, a cost and benefit analysis of various curbside recycling options, and the comparative benefits of recycling and waste-to-energy. R.W. Beck has worked closely with the City to analyze the components of Honolulu’s refuse and take a comprehensive, third-party critical look at the effectiveness and efficiency of current and proposed programs.

On September 4, 2007, Mayor Hannemann announced plans to move forward with curbside recycling beginning in two communities -- Hawaii Kai and Mililani -- in October.