Pizza boxes are mostly made of corrugated cardboard, a material that gets the recycling go-ahead in most places. But if you’re just dumping the entire empty box in the recycling bin after you’ve finished your pie, you’re harming more than than you’re helping. That’s because once pizza grease and toppings touch the box, the greasy […]

Replacing old compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and fluorescent light strips with LED lights is an environmental and ultimately money-saving decision. The same goes for holiday lights and strands, even though you only use them for a few weeks out of a year and they continue to work. LEDs don’t heat up like other types […]

The horrific Camp Fire — which killed at least 85 people, destroyed 14,000 residences and charred an area the size of Chicago as it raged across Northern California — has finally been fully contained, authorities announced Sunday. Cal Fire, the state’s forestry and fire protection agency, made the announcement after spending 17 days beating back […]

Scientists studying the Pacific Ocean have discovered a bacteria that absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) and could potentially turn itself into a food source for other sea creatures. The bacteria was discovered in one of the deepest parts of the Pacific Ocean, the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ), a trench which extends 2.5 miles beneath the surface. […]

In this season of giving thanks, Island of Hawai‘i residents and visitors can be thankful for the return of good air quality, generally free of volcanic air pollution. Since the sharp drop in Kīlauea’s volcanic activity and gas emissions in early August 2018, there has been dramatic improvement in the Island’s air quality. The rest of the state can […]

A startling new federal report released Friday solidifies previous research that climate change will have devastating effects in Hawaii but warns there is even less time than previously thought to prepare for the effects. A warming earth is exacerbating sea level rise and putting coastal communities at risk, reducing water supply and increasing water demand, […]

Waste Less We waste so much. Every day millions of things that could be reused or recycled end up being thrown away. This is why we are working on a Waste Less campaign, which we hope will inspire you to choose products with less packaging and to reuse and recycle more of your waste. Waste […]

Due to changes in global recycling markets, starting December 1, 2018, the County of Hawai’i will no longer accept #5 plastics, plastic grocery bags, nor any clam shell-type plastic (salad, bentos, fruit, etc.) in the mixed recyclable bins at the Recycling & Transfer Stations. Examples of the #5 (polypropylene) plastics which will no longer be […]

Sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gases themselves are not visible, but dramatic plumes are sometimes visible at Kīlauea Volcano’s summit (shown here) and Puʻu ʻŌʻō. These plumes are a result of atmospheric conditions rather than increased volcanic activity, and frequently occur when warm volcanic gases condense as they are released into cooler air temperatures of […]

Black Friday 2018 is likely to be the best America has seen in years. Total spend for Black Friday weekend is estimated to hit $59.6 billion with the best growth since 2011, according to estimates by GlobalData Retail. More people are shopping, shoppers are spending more, and online sales are way up ahead of and […]