Ka‘u student group seeks to minimize waste through composting, recycling – Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Report on the Malama ‘Aina Compostables Zero-Waste Initiative

Executive Summary

A student-led initiative in Ka‘u, Hawaii, known as Malama ‘Aina Compostables, has made significant strides in local waste management, directly contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since its grant-supported efforts began in 2024, the program has successfully diverted over 20,000 pounds of waste from the West Hawaii landfill through comprehensive separation, recycling, and composting programs. The initiative addresses the critical issue of the local landfill approaching capacity while promoting a circular economy and fostering community-wide education on sustainability.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities & SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The project is a direct implementation of principles central to SDG 11 and SDG 12. By actively reducing municipal waste, the initiative supports Target 11.6, which aims to reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including waste management. Furthermore, the group’s focus on composting, recycling, and reuse embodies the core of SDG 12, promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns and substantially reducing waste generation (Target 12.5).

• Over 20,000 pounds of waste diverted from the landfill since 2024.
• Achieved a 90% waste diversion rate at the 2025 Volcano Renaissance Faire, an event with over 2,500 attendees, where only 18 pounds of waste went to the landfill.
• The initiative promotes a shift from a linear “use and throw away” economy to a circular model, where materials are repurposed.

SDG 13: Climate Action & SDG 15: Life on Land

The composting component of the program is a key contributor to climate action. By diverting food scraps from landfills, the initiative prevents the generation of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The nutrient-rich soil created through this process directly supports SDG 15 by enhancing local agricultural programs and restoring soil health.

• Approximately 10 tons of food waste have been composted, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
• The compost produced is utilized by a local pig farmer and the school’s agricultural programs, improving local food systems and soil quality.

SDG 4: Quality Education & SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Education and collaboration are foundational to the project’s success. The student-led model provides invaluable experience and promotes education for sustainable development (Target 4.7) for both high school participants and the elementary school students they mentor. The initiative’s achievements are enabled by strong multi-stakeholder partnerships (SDG 17), including collaboration with the nonprofit Recycle Hawaii and funding from the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling.

• The student group provides zero-waste education for Na‘alehu Elementary School students.
• A $1.5 million, three-year grant was secured through a presentation to environmental policy leaders.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

The initiative has a forward-looking agenda that directly addresses marine health. The designated theme for the 2025-26 school year, “Plastic Pollution and Marine Debris,” aligns with Target 14.1 to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution. This focus was highlighted during the Hawaii Zero Waste Youth Convergence, which connected local students with youth from Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” to understand the full life cycle of plastics from production to pollution.

Program Activities and Key Achievements

Waste Diversion and Composting Operations

The operational core of the initiative revolves around tangible waste diversion activities, centered on a state-of-the-art composting unit.

1. Installation of “Ho‘ouli,” a $35,000 fully-contained composting unit capable of processing approximately 100 pounds of food waste per school day.
2. Systematic waste separation in the Ka‘u High and Pahala Elementary cafeterias, managed by students.
3. Organization of community events for recycling large appliances and collecting cardboard for shredding.

Community Engagement and Education

The group extends its impact beyond the school campus through broad community outreach and educational efforts.

• Management of waste separation stations at various local events.
• Providing information and hands-on learning opportunities to the public and younger students.
• Advocacy for policy change, including student testimony in support of a bill to ban single-use items in food service.

Future Outlook and Policy Implications

Thematic Grant Work

The project is structured around annual themes funded by its three-year grant, ensuring focused progress:

1. 2024-25: Composting
2. 2025-26: Plastic Pollution and Marine Debris
3. Year 3: Waste to Wealth

Economic and Regulatory Goals

Looking ahead, the initiative aims to create a self-sustaining economic model and influence public policy. The “Waste to Wealth” theme will explore selling the high-quality compost to generate income for the school and support local food growth, contributing to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). Program leaders are also advocating for changes to state regulations that classify food waste as a biohazard, seeking to reframe it as a valuable agricultural commodity to better support a statewide circular economy.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The article directly addresses waste management in a community, a key component of sustainable cities. The initiative’s primary goal is to divert waste from the West Hawaii landfill, which is nearing capacity (“we only have 15 years or less left until it fills up”). This effort contributes to making the community more sustainable and resilient.

2. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • The core of the article is about promoting sustainable practices to reduce waste. The “student-led zero-waste initiative” focuses on “trash separation, recycling and composting,” which are central to achieving sustainable consumption and production patterns. The article highlights a shift from a “linear economy of just using stuff and throwing it away” to a “circular” one.

3. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • The initiative is student-led and has a strong educational component. The students provide “zero-waste education for Na‘alehu Elementary School students” and raise community awareness at local events. This is a clear example of education for sustainable development.

4. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • The article explicitly mentions that the theme for the 2025-26 school year is “Plastic Pollution and Marine Debris.” This directly connects the group’s efforts to the goal of conserving marine ecosystems by preventing land-based pollution.

5. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • The composting program produces “nutrient-rich soil” that is used in the school’s agricultural programs and by a local farmer. This practice helps restore soil quality and supports sustainable local agriculture, contributing to the protection of terrestrial ecosystems. The group’s name, “Malama ‘Aina” (care for the land), reinforces this connection.

6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • The project’s success is built on collaboration. The student group works with the nonprofit “Recycle Hawaii,” received a “$1.5 million three-year grant” from the “New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling,” and collaborated with students from Louisiana, demonstrating effective partnerships to achieve sustainability goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 11.6: Reduce the environmental impact of cities

   • By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. The initiative’s work to keep “more than 20,000 pounds of waste out of the West Hawaii landfill” is a direct action towards improving municipal waste management.

2. Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation

   • By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. The group’s activities, including composting, recycling, and setting up water refill stations, are all aimed at reducing waste generation. The diversion of “90% of waste” at a local event is a specific achievement under this target.

3. Target 4.7: Education for sustainable development and global citizenship

   • By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. The students are not only learning these skills themselves but are actively teaching them to younger students (“zero-waste education for Na‘alehu Elementary School students”) and the wider community.

4. Target 14.1: Reduce marine pollution

   • By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris. The group’s dedicated theme of “Plastic Pollution and Marine Debris” for the upcoming year shows a clear intent to address this target by tackling a major source of marine pollution.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Quantitative Indicators of Waste Reduction

   • The article provides several specific metrics that can be used to measure progress:
     • Total waste diverted from landfill: “more than 20,000 pounds of waste.”
     • Food waste composted: “about 10 tons of food waste out of the landfill.”
     • Daily composting rate: “about 100 pounds of food waste goes through the composter each schoolday.”
     • Waste diversion rate at events: “diverted 90% of waste that was developed by 2,500 people over a weekend.”

2. Qualitative and Programmatic Indicators

   • The article implies other ways to measure progress:
     • Number of educational programs implemented: The “zero-waste education for Na‘alehu Elementary School students” is one example.
     • Number of community outreach events: The group provided waste management at “various local events,” including the “2025 Volcano Renaissance Faire.”
     • Development of new revenue streams from waste: The plan to “sell the composted dirt to generate income for the school” is an indicator of creating a circular economy (“Waste to Wealth” theme).
     • Partnerships established: The collaboration with Recycle Hawaii and the grant from a New York association are indicators of successful partnership building.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: hawaiitribune-herald.com