John Patt
Bio
Past Testimony on the Kauaʻi ISWMP
Testimony on the Kauaʻi Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan Update Draft 4By…
Disposable Plastics Policy Definitions
“County Facility” means any building, structure, or vehicle owned and operated by…
Reforest hawaii: capture the carbon
Come join us Saturday June 17th at 7:00 AMHelp us reestablish the…
Status of the MRF
The County has completed a conceptual design for a MRF, a budget…
Join Us
ZWK Membership
Tap into Sustainability: Promoting Tap Water Over Bottled Alternatives for Locals and Tourists Alike
background Plastic bottled drinking water contributes a substantial amount of our recyclable…
Zero Waste Kauaʻi Testimony on the ISWMP Draft 4
Testimony on the Kauaʻi Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan Update Draft 4By JoAnn…
ZWK priorities for ISWMP
Identify the following four main priorities for next 10 years as the…
Jenn Sifuentes
Bio
Event Coordination
A major element of our project has been to promote waste reduction…
Jimmy Trujillo
Jimmy Trujillo has lived on Kaua’i since 1999 and is a resident…
Nancy Romaine
Bio
Landfill Expansion Environmental Assessment
As the current Kekaha Landfill has a short remaining life span and…
ZWK INSTAGRAM FEED
What is Zero Waste?
Zero Waste is more than an approach to waste management and recycling,…
Amendment Proposal to Exclude “Municipal Solid Waste” from Renewable Energy Sources in Hawaii Revised Statutes
Background : HRS §269-91 states “Renewable energy” means energy generated or produced…
ZWK Resource Guide
Ruta Jordans
Ruta Jordans has followed a zero waste way of living all her…
Background MRF
The County of Kauaʻi”s number 1 goal in the General Plan is…
Our Story
Zero Waste Kauai (ZWK) was founded in 2006 by Pat Gegen and John Harder (aka the Dump Doctor) in response to a proposal in the County’s Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan update (ISWM Plan) to include Waste to Energy (incineration) as an option in the County’s waste management strategy.
Our Intent
Our original intent was primarily education: to expand the public’s awareness of the potential of Zero Waste Management to more effectively manage our discards, rather than employ incineration as a primary strategy… and it worked!
Our Success
As of 2020, the island of Kauai successfully diverts approximately 43% of landfill-bound waste, primarily through HI-5 Recycling programs and Green Waste Management sites, as well as food waste diversion practices such as composting and large-scale events management in partnership with ZWK.