Ever wondered where your green waste goes? If you live in Honolulu, the contents of your curbside green bin end up at the Hawaiian Earth recycling facility in Wahiawa for processing.
Marvin Min, senior vice president of its Hawai’i division, talked with The Conversation about the role of composting in a circular economy.
Since it began, the company has diverted over 2 million tons of green waste from landfills or being incinerated, enough to fill up Diamond Head twice, according to Min.
He said the city will soon be collecting food waste along with green waste.
"Everything that comes from the ʻāina goes back into the ʻāina," Min said. "Composting green waste, and soon to be food waste, it sounds like an easy task and job, but it really takes a lot of experience and knowledge and science to really produce the best product."
Reuse, sustainability, and the challenges of public education are all part of the greening of what we put out in the trash.
This interview aired on The Conversation on June 6, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
