Maui County was one of the first to say “no” to the plastic bags in the state of Hawaii. No more countless plastic bags to use mindlessly every time we go shopping. Seeing them strewn everywhere on our island finally motivated the county to say enough already! So in 2011 it was the start of “BYOB-Bring your own bag”. It took awhile to get accustomed to but now we see cloth bags, and baskets for shopping. Reusable bags are the norm.
This is a post about what to do with “garbage” when you live on an island-practically speaking. Oh by the way…Earth is an Island.
Hate to admit it or discuss it, but we humans put out a lot of garbage.! So think before you throw that glass or plastic away. Think about what it means to have a perfect green lawn that uses pesticides that may go into our groundwater or our oceans. Does every lawn have to be suitable for a golf ball or can it be an edible garden? Does every landscape need to be tamed? Rethink beauty.
Here is a good website about recycling on Maui.
http://www.mauicounty.gov/recycle
Oh and by the way -not everything is “garbage”. With a little help from nature we can turn it into nutrient rich soil We sometimes take for granted our fertile volcanic soil. However to keep it rich, it needs stewardship, caring and knowledge. There are so many wise teachers who for the love of the aina (land) and love of sharing, impart their knowledge to any eager learner. One such lady is Wilma who teaches a class on enriching the soil. Visit her website here http://www.joyofworms.com/
Another wonderful speaker of the aina is Vincent Mina. I saw him at a Maui TedX conference on Maui. He and his family live on Maui and own Kahanu Aina Greens. His presentation is funny and informative. Watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAbhN3SESpI
And lastly (at least for this blog post) garbage is in the eye of the beholder. Garbage can be ART!
The Art of Trash. According to a blog from Joy of Worms by Wilma: “The Art of Trash 2014 exhibition takes place at Maui Mall. If you have never been or haven’t seen it in a few years, make it a point to get to Maui Mall. The exhibition runs from April 26 – May 31 and the hours of the gallery are daily 10 – 6 pm. The Art of Trash is not like any other exhibition. Artists use recyclable materials as their fuel for creativity and transform them into works of art. The show has lots of humor, self reflection, deep thought and creative ways of using trash. If you ever thought you had a great idea about reusing some of the bottle caps you throw out or the heap of rusted metal you wish you could use in some way…this is the show for you. The show is juried by Ira Ono, founder of the Trash Show in Hilo and Art of Trash on Maui.”
Art of Trash-Due to popular demand the exhibition got EXTENDED to May 31, 2014!
Mahalo,
Jeannie Kong
The Living On Maui Team
