Community members and Kokua Hawai’i Foundation communicate on a regular basis to positively impact the communities where we live and work. We do this by building relationships, sharing our vision for increased environmental education, and promoting sustainable living in Hawai’i’s communities.
Plastic Free Haleiwa Coalition
The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is excited to be partnering with several Haleiwa residents on a new community project. 2008 will see the launch of Plastic Free Haleiwa, a coalition of community members and business owners that strives to educate stores, restaurants and patrons of Haleiwa Town on the environmental and health benefits of going plastic free in order to minimize the consumption and pollution of plastics in our islands.
Our goal is to minimize the use of single use plastic items such as plastic bags, food take-out containers (including Styrofoam), plastic utensils, and water bottles. There are several cost effective alternatives to single-use plastics including reusable bags and bottles, compostable bags and foodwares.
Let’s make Haleiwa Town a successful example of how to go Plastic Free. By working together we can make a difference for our neighborhood, island and world.
To join us in this effort, please email us.
Here are two resources for the Plastic Free Haleiwa Coalition:
FACT SHEET - Informative facts about single-use plastic and how plastics negatively affect the people, wildlife, economy, and environment of Haleiwa.
SOURCE LIST - A list of companies that sell safe biodegradable food wares, reusable bags, and reusable water bottles.
Friends of the Earth Film Series
Friends of the Earth Film Series begins Sunday, January 6th!
The University of Hawai’i Cinema Series, in cooperation with the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and Slow Food O’ahu, presents the Friends of the Earth Film Series on the first Sunday of each month from January to June. These films will cover all aspects of sustainable living in Hawai’i including ocean conservation, energy, architecture, and food production. Each film will be followed with Q&A sessions led by local experts in each field to discuss solutions to some of the problems facing Hawaii’s future. All films will be presented in the Spalding Auditorium at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Admission is $5 for the film and discussion. On campus parking is free on Sundays. For information on the films and dates, click here or call Don Brown at 223-0130.
Simplify the Holidays
The holidays are a time of celebration, marking the passing of another year, and giving. Unfortunately, many of our once-simple holiday traditions have given way to consumption practices that can have serious impacts on our environment—and family budgets! We hope to help you simplify the holidays in order to give a gift to yourself, your family, and the earth! See 12 Days of a “Green” Christmas. Also check out some cool gift ideas.