EATING IN PUBLIC - HI-5 Recycling Bins

Friday, May 13, 2011

Introducing a new collaborator - Keith

on Wilder Ave at Makiki St (left- makai side, right- mauka side)

left- Wilder Ave at Punahou St (mauka)
right- Punahou St at Wilder Ave (mauka)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Tere back to the windward side

Bus stop on Kaneohe Bay Drive & 'Ilihau Street (Kailua bound)

Beach access #93 (Lanikai loop)

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Makiki District Park - Bundit, Janice and Duht Duht

by basketball court

by tennis court

by skateboard rink

"We're also happy to report that the ones we tied at Dole Park are being used regularly by park users." says Bundit.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

tere back in action!!

1. Bus stop on Pali Highway & Hinalo (town bound)

2. Bus stop on Pali Highway & Ahi (town bound)

3. Bus stop on Liliha Street & Hiram (Pali bound)

4. Bus stop on Liliha Street & School (Pali bound)

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Hawaii Kai Little League Baseball Tournament - Opening Day

A few months ago Laurie Downing saw one of the HI-5 bins at Koko Head Park. I think this bin was placed there by Tere Castro. Anyway Laurie got the idea to have a bunch of bins ready for the Little League Baseball Competition this year, and for them to stay up permanently. Since Parks+Rec tends to remove our bins, she worked concertedly with them for official approval. They were fairly supportive except they wanted all wire edges protected.

Asking permission is not typical for Eating in Public (we never ask because we don't believe anyone has the authority to grant or deny us) but CHEERS for Laurie. In her own words,

"Opening day went very well. We made an announcement to the whole Hawaii Kai Baseball community about the bins and to please kokua. The bins were VERY well received. Folks were excited. And the bins were being well used. BTW, we went back to duct tape to cover the rough edges. They ended up working better than the clips. Attached are some pics. Carlise (Peter) was there to throw out the first pitch. Hope to work w/ you again and that we are given the opportunity to expand the program after 6 months. Thanks so much for your support. People were blown away w/ the fact that your organization donated all the materials for the bins."

[Actually the donation came from Hawaii People's Fund, where we got the grant.]

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Kalaheo Park by Kawai Nui Marsh

This is a popular dog walking spot so it seems that the people turned the HI-5 bin into a dog poo bag sharing system.
cool. Eating in Public is happy.

New Collaborators Laurie and Kainoa

Laurie and Kainoa making bins for Koko Head Park in Hawaii Kai to be ready for next weekend's baseball league competition. Laurie even asked Parks and Recreation for permission and they agreed (what!?! a miracle!!!) if all sharp edges are protected. Lori came up with a brilliant method of using plastic fluted screw anchors around sharp ends. Worked swell if expensive. But now that we know how we can probably substitute the anchors for cut up plastic tubing.

about the Anarchist Recycling System

It all started one day in 2004 when the city dropped off a blue recycling bin at our place. We were so happy. "FINALLY!" we thought. Nerdily we put all our recyclables in and waited for the pick up. We waited, and waited, and waited for two sad years. They never came. Frustrated, we took matters into our own hands. We made a simple wire mesh bin and attached a sign with a tongue-in-cheek anarchist message, "HI-5 / Take, Leave, Whatevas..." We added our redeemables and set it up at our front yard. Viola they were picked up. Soon unknown people dropped off their own redeemables, and these too were picked up without ceremony!!! If it worked so well at our front yard, we thought why not put them everywhere.

The idea caught on very quickly. People invited us to do workshops. We collaborated with community groups. A few people sent money for materials. We even received a small grant from the Hawaii People's Fund. By our unscientific estimate, over 1,000 bins have placed on O'ahu along with a few on Maui.

In 2011 the unexpected happened. The coordinator of Honolulu City and County's Environmental Services (ENV) called us. Instead of freaking out or being defensive she told us she liked the HI-5 bins, the simplicity of its concept, its design, and its community-building potential. To make a long (and painfully bureaucratic) story short ENV officially adopted the HI-5 project in 2013.

Like we did before, ENV will work with anyone, particularly groups, to make and set up bins, providing instructions and all needed supplies. Most miracously ENV kept the language of our [TAKE, LEAVE, WHATEVAS...] signs AND our DIY instructions that explicitly say to [Trust Without Apology]. To prove that they meant it, they do not provide pickups. A major triump over the irrational fear of strangers! Anarchists are everywhere.

So go ahead...
- Request a bin-making kit or a workshop from C+C Environmental Services
- Or better yet, downloadable step-by-step instructions and take matters into your own hands

Lastly, we must acknowledge that recycling, no matter how comprehensive, do nothing in dealing with gluttonous First World consumption patterns and the excessive packaging around all the sad shit we buy. The larger purpose of the HI-5 bin project is to create a consciousness of our interdependency through actual practice and real relationships, not based on abstract notions of groups or communities.