REPORT FROM THE CITY & COUNTY OF HONOLULU —Mayor Peter Carlisle and his environmental services team encourage Oahu teachers to attend the 8th annual Discover Recycling event on Saturday, September 22 – a one-day showcase of recycling resources for schools and educators. The event includes a bus tour of Oahu’s recycling and waste processing facilities and a visit to a “green” school, followed by a “Zero-Landfill” lunch and a presentation of resources offered by the City to help schools recycle and to teach recycling in the classroom.
“Education is key to the success of recycling, and our kids can play a significant role,” said Carlisle. “Recent surveys have confirmed that household recycling levels are affected by the knowledge of the entire family. Students who learn about recycling at school are able to take that expertise home to help their family recycle more.”
The Discover Recycling event is free for teachers, but registration is required. Teachers can register by calling 768-3200. More information is available at www.opala.org
The City’s Department of Environmental Services has much to offer teachers and schools: Tour de Trash field trips, student activity books, recycling education shows, campus recycling project assistance, and more. The www.opala.org website is the central tool for tapping into the City’s resources, and attending Discover Recycling brings it all to life. Click on the site’s Learning Center link for more information.
Another educational opportunity is the “Sort it Out” recycling show that tours Oahu’s schools. Through a partnership with the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, “Sort It Out” will continue for a third season, from January through March 2013. The show features a 60-minute play filled with song, laughter and games – entertaining students while educating them about the City’s curbside recycling program. The shows are free, but schools are advised to reserve early, as limited shows are available. For more information, contact HTY Schools Reservation Manager at 839-9885 or email schools@htyweb.org .
The City has long emphasized the importance of effective public education to the success of recycling. This year, Honolulu was among the top three finalists for the national 2012 Green City Award, and Honolulu’s recycling coordinator received national recognition as one the top women professionals in the recycling industry. On July 26th, the City’s Curbside Recycling Public Education campaign was recognized by the Public Relations Society of America with a Koa Anvil Award.
The Anvil awards recognize comprehensive campaigns, and are judged on the effectiveness of the research, strategic planning, creative execution and results. The components of the City’s campaign included The Green Channel on Oceanic Time Warner Cable 332, the www.opala.org website, the school recycling shows and student activity books, a partnership with Costco to provide in-store recycling education, and a comprehensive analysis presented in the Curbside Recycling Program Evaluation and Strategic Planning Report. Judges notes “excellent use of research both before and after the campaign launch” and “very thorough research and good results.”
The City plans to sustain and expand upon these creative educational programs as we move forward to further increase recycling in the coming year.