August 2000

There is a small, but growing group of local entrepreneurs who have ventured into new businesses that remanufacture your trash into profitable products.  Your yard waste is turned into mulch and compost, bottles and jars into crushed glass garden sculptures and glasphalt pavement, old tires into playground and landscaping products and milk jugs into recycled plastic lumber.

Much of the recyclable materials we collect on Oahu are still shipped to markets on the mainland or in Asia, and we will continue to move material in those directions as recycling in Hawaii expands.  But there we have no control over pricing or demand for our materials.  When market prices take a down-turn, it can negatively impact the economics of our recycling programs.  “Closing the loop” here in Hawaii can have a stabilizing effect on local recycling programs and benefit our economy with the creation of new businesses and jobs. 

Continued success in recycling will require the kind of creative thinking and business management skills demonstrated by the companies profiled in this month’s issue of Waste Line.  Many new product ideas are developing right here in Hawaii. My thanks to these members of the Partnership for the Environment for leading the way.

—Mayor Jeremy Harris

About the Partnership
The Partnership for the Environment is a coalition of businesses coordinated by the City & County of Honolulu to support recycling, waste reduction and purchasing recycled-content products.  The Partnership offers resources, guides, technical assistance, a speakers bureau and peer consulting and publicly recognizes businesses for their efforts.  The Partnership’s growing coalition of peer consultants is willing to share its expertise to assist other businesses in developing intelligent recycling programs.  For more information and to become a partner, call the City’s Recycling Office at 527-5335.






RE-MADE IN HAWAII

Recyclable materials recovered in local collection programs are remanufactured into new products by companies in Asia, mainland USA and these right here in Hawaii.

Aloha Glass Recycling, Inc. recycles waste glass into a variety of products, including water filter media, sandblast grit, decorative landscape aggregate, and an aggregate for “glasphalt.”  590 Lipoa Parkway, Kihei, Maui  96753 (808) 875-2520

Island Recycling recycles glass containers into "Glas-sand" for aquariums, decorative landscape aggregate, water filter media, ashtray filler and sandblast grit.  Available in bags.  1811 Dillingham Blvd., Honolulu  96819 (808)845-1188

JC Sandblast & Recycle Glass Service transforms glass containers into art objects with a tropical motif etched or painted onto the surface.  3351 Elima St., Lihue   96766  (808) 245-2600 

Peak Creations handcrafts recycled glass tiles, paperweights and decorative objects.  P.O. Box 6239, Kamuela  96743  (808) 885-7812  artglass@gte.net

Hawaiian Cracked Glass creates crushed glass garden sculptures and decorative objects.  A sampling of their product line is in the Zootique at the Honolulu Zoo.  P. O. Box 5284, Hilo 96720  (808) 959-0361

Hawaiian Earth Products, Ltd. recycles yard trimmings into soil conditioners, compost and soil blends.  The company’s bagged compost and soil conditioners, known as the “Menehune Magic” product line, are available at local garden shops.  P.O. Box 1166, Ewa Beach, Hawaii  96707  (808) 682-5895

Kalaheo Green Waste Recycling Facility recycles yard trimmings on the Windward side.  Mulch and compost are sold in bulk to the general public.  P.O. Box 26176, Honolulu  96825  (808) 262-7751

Maui EKO Systems, Inc. produces compost utilizing yard trimmings, untreated wood, pallets, and biosolids.  The majority of EKO Compost is sold in bulk to resorts and golf courses.  The nutrient-rich EKO products are sold bagged in garden centers under the “EKO Premium Compost” and “EKO Tropical Blend” labels.  P.O. Box 1065, Puunene  96784  (808) 572-8844

Aloha Plastic Recycling, Inc. manufactures recycled plastic dimensional lumber, picnic tables, park benches, mail box posts, trash receptacles, car stops and speed bumps.  P.O. Box 1429, Puunene, Hawaii  96784  (800) 865-2884  (808) 877-0822  info@aloha-recycling.com 

Intech, Inc., dba Confidential Records Destruction makes the “Oil Change Box” to safely dispose of and recycle used oil.  These boxes, made with post-consumer waste paper, are available at retail stores.  Two new products, hydro-mulch and cellulose insulation, are now on line.  922-C Austin Lane, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817  (808) 848-7776

Unitek markets shredded and crumbed old tires for fuel and in products for playground safety surfacing, landscaping, colorized ground cover and gorse arenas.  The landscaping products provide a resilient surface, promote good root growth and help conserve water.  2889 Mokumoa St., Honolulu, Hawaii  96819  (808)831-3066 X203 and 366-4163.

 

 


 2,700 milk jugs were used to manufacture this recycled plastic picnic table in use at the Honolulu Zoo.

 



“Menehune Magic” compost and soil conditioner, manufactured by Hawaiian Earth Products, can be found in local garden shops.

 


The Kalaheo Green Waste Recycling Facility sells high-quality compost in bulk on the Windward side of Oahu.

 


Crushed glass garden sculpture created by Recycling Systems Hawaii for the Honolulu Zoo.

JOIN US at the RECYCLED 
PRODUCTS STORE


Made in Hawaii Festival
August 20, 21, 22 
at the Blaisdell Center


Come see (and buy) recycled products, arts and crafts made locally by Hawaii businesses and artisans.

 

A young visitor to the Recycled Products Store lounges on a chair crafted from old cardboard boxes by artist

 Mark Alan Chai.

 

VISIT THE HONOLULU ZOO for a SHOWCASE OF RECYCLED PRODUCTS


Come visit with the animals and check out the new recycling activities at the Zoo. They’ve been making good use of your recycled milk jugs, glass containers and yard trimmings collected from around the islands.

In the new FujiFilm Tropical Stroll Garden and the Elephant Encounter Area you’ll find recycled plastic benches that were re-manufactured from milk jugs.  Glass containers collected from community recycling programs have been crushed, mixed with asphalt to create glasphalt, and used to pave the walkways.  Those cute elephant sculptures are made from crushed recycled glass, too.

In the Volunteer Garden, manure from Zoo animals (herbivores only) is composted with yard waste to create a product called “Honolulu Zoo Poo.”  Mari and Vaigai, the resident elephants, are the biggest contributors to this recycling effort.  The Zoo is now offering this valuable garden product for sale in their Zootique while supplies last.

In the Children’s Zoo recycled plastic lumber has replaced wood planks in the fencing.  Not only is it more durable than wood, but it eliminates the problem of splinters for our keiki.

Recycle Product Facts:

Picnic Table = 2,700 milk jugs

Park Bench = 1,100 milk jugs

Elephant Encounter Walkway = 7 tons (14,000 lbs.) of recycled glass

FujiFilm Tropical Stroll Garden = 4 tons (8,000 lbs.) of recycled glass

 

Call for a free RECYCLING AT WORK video

Hawaii’s leaders in recycling discuss how smart waste management strategies have benefitted their businesses as well as our island home.  You can use this 14-minute video to brief managers, educate and motivate employees and get tips and ideas for your business.  Call the City’s Recycling Office at 527-5335.