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Hawaiʻi youth-led recycling program reeling from Trump's executive orders

Recycle Hawaiʻi's youth-led program has been suspended for future notice, due to a freeze in funding for federal grants.
Recycle Hawaiʻi
Recycle Hawaiʻi's youth-led program has been suspended until further notice due to a freeze in federal grant funding.

A Hawaiʻi Island nonprofit is reeling from President Donald Trump's orders to eliminate funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

An image of Justin Canelas who is the program director for Recycle Hawai'i.
Recycle Hawai'i
Justin Canelas is the program director for Recycle Hawaiʻi.

Justin Canelas is the program director at Recycle Hawaiʻi, which was nearly a year into an educational program funded by a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However last week, he learned of the Trump administration's executive orders to block federal funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Canelas scrambled to withdraw money for the week's payroll. Since then, his organization's account has been locked. HPR spoke to him about the impacts of the Trump administration's policy and what he thinks many are getting wrong about DEI.

Recycle Hawaiʻi has launched a fundraiser to keep the youth-led recycling program running while the group's federal funding remains frozen — and its future uncertain. For more information, click here.


This interview aired on The Conversation on Feb. 4, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. 

Maddie Bender is the executive producer of The Conversation. She also provided production assistance on HPR's "This Is Our Hawaiʻi" podcast. Contact her at mbender@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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