Kauaʻi is facing a solid waste crisis—our landfill is filling up faster than the County can build a new one. Every day, an average of 250 tons of waste end up in Kekaha Landfill, and without effective action, we risk a waste disaster.

Landfilling and waste-to-energy are not sustainable solutions. Instead, Kauaʻi must prioritize curbside recycling and embrace the 5R strategies: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, and Rot (Compost) to reduce the waste going to the landfill by up to 70%.

A Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and curbside recycling program will:
✅ Make recycling easy and user-friendly
✅ Extend the life of the landfill 
✅ Help reduce environmental harm and create a more circular economy
✅ Lay the foundation for possible compost and food waste pick-up in the future

A shift in the County’s waste subsidy could help to cover some recycling costs. If the County provides a smaller waste bin option with a lower user fee, households will be able to lower their trash costs by recycling. 

The time to act is NOW. If we had done this 20 years ago, we wouldn’t be in this crisis today.

If you haven’t already signed the curbside recycling petition which has been circulating on Kauaʻi person-to-person, you can now sign online.

Join us in urging the County to make curbside recycling a top priority— please sign the petition below!

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FAQs

What is curbside recycling?

Curbside recycling is a system by which recyclable materials—such as paper, glass, metal, and plastic—are collected at your driveway and taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) instead of the landfill. 

What is a MRF?

A MRF (pronounced MURF) is a specialized building where recyclable materials are cleaned, sorted, and baled for sale to manufacturers, who turn them into new products like toilet paper, aluminum cans, plastic lumber, and even road-paving materials like Glassphalt.

For curbside recycling to be successful, Kauaʻi must first build an MRF to handle and process recyclables.

Why curbside recycling rocks?

Currently, waste disposal follows a linear process:
Extract Natural Resources → Manufacture Products → Use → Dispose (landfill or burn).

This cycle depletes natural resources like forests, habitats, and water, contributing to environmental destruction. Kauaʻi needs to shift to a circular process to reduce waste and reuse resources, using the 5R approach: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, and Rot (Compost).

Curbside recycling can help reduce the waste going to our landfill. According to the Countyʻs study, 36% of waste in the landfill is made up of recyclables. With curbside recycling, we should be able to reduce what goes into the landfill by at least 25-30%. When added to the organics and construction & demolition diversions, the Countyʻs overall diversion rate will increase greatly after languishing for the last seven years.

Why is the current system of drop-off recycling centers not enough?

While drop-off centers allow people to divert recyclables from the landfill, this system has limitations:

Inconvenience: Not everyone has the time or capacity to sort, store, and take their recyclables to a drop-off location.
Limited Participation: Drop-off centers rely on people taking the initiative to deliver their recyclables, but most won't do it due to inconvenience, lack of motivation or lack of awareness. 
Inefficient: Curbside collection is a more efficient and widespread solution. It makes recycling easy, increases participation, and ensures more materials are diverted from the landfill.

Switching to curbside recycling means making recycling accessible and hassle-free for all households!

Mahalo nui loa for your support!

‘A‘ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia – “No task is too great when undertaken together.”