Disposable Plastics Policy Definitions
“County Facility” means any building, structure, or vehicle owned and operated by…
JoAnn Yukimura
JoAnn Yukimura was mayor of Kauaʻi County from 1988-1994 and served on…
John Patt
Bio
What is Zero Waste?
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…
Past Testimony on the Kauaʻi ISWMP
Testimony on the Kauaʻi Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan Update Draft 4By…
John Harder
John is a Berkeley dropout who came to Kaua‘i in 1969 and…
ZWK Resource Guide
Movie Night
ZWK partnered with Kauai Community College to put on a number of…
ZWK INSTAGRAM FEED
Join Us
ZWK Membership
What is Zero Waste?
Zero Waste is more than an approach to waste management and recycling,…
Reforest hawaii: capture the carbon
Come join us Saturday June 17th at 7:00 AMHelp us reestablish the…
Nancy Romaine
Bio
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…
Waste-To-Energy Plants Stalled in Maui County While Landfills Approach Capacity (2020)
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2020-01-08/waste-to-energy-plants-stalled-in-maui-county-while-landfills-approach-capacity Nearly five years ago, Hawaii Public Radio reported a series of…
Zero Waste
Efforts to reduce solid waste generation waste to nothing, or as close…
Our Story
Zero Waste Kauai (ZWK) was founded in 2006 by Pat Gegen and…
Status of the MRF
The County has completed a conceptual design for a MRF, a budget…
The Case for Curbside Recycling on Kaua`i
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.