Waste Systems
Oʻahu has only two industrial sized landfills, one for municipal waste and the other for construction and demolition debri. Every year more than 100,000 tons of ash from H-Power are buried at the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Kapolei. Under contract, the city must pay H-Power operator Covanta for the company’s lost energy sales whenever the city fails to deliver at least 800,000 tons of trash a year. The Covanta-operated plant processes up to 3,000 tons of waste per day and produces up to 10% of Oahu's annual electricity, according to ENV.
Shifting to a Zero Waste System
Our policy recommendations shift to a cohesive system that prioritizes- source reduction, material reuse, and is integrated into a circular economic model that creates good jobs, does no community harm, and is in harmony with our natural resources.
A circular economy driven system calls for a paradigm shift in handling discarded materials. Instead of “waste” these items are valued as commodities. Principles in this model prioritize ways to reuse and conserve those commodities through waste diversion, salvaging, recycling, composting, and other technologies. This “discards” management system emphasizes how these commodities can flow full circle during the total life cycle of materials from product design, collection, and processing to the marketing of new products made from the material.
Municipal Waste
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Construction & Demolition Debris
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Environmental Justice
Materials containing asbestos are allowed at the PVT Landfill, if wrapped in 6mm of plastic. Both asbestos and plastics are known hazards to the environment and public health.
Recent data shows life expectancies in Nānākuli are ten years less than the Hawai‘i average.
Along with an increased risk of cancer from heavy metal exposure, coal ash can affect human development, cause lung, heart and stomach problems and contribute to premature mortality.