EATING IN PUBLIC - HI-5 Recycling Bins

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Big Article on us in Honolulu Weekly

"Take, Leave... Whatevas" by Richard Morse, Honolulu Weekly (June 29, 2011)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Keith working his bus route - university <-> makiki

Keith writes, "A couple of bins disappeared before I could get a picture...one (the second I've installed) at Yogurtland bus stop and another at a University/Dole bus stop. Another first...someone stole the bottom of another bin, leaving just the cylinder. I've replaced that one."

Keeaumoku @ Makiki District Park
Keeaumoku @ Wilder
Old Faithful, Makiki @ Punahou makai
Punahou @ Dole, Diamond Head
Punahou at Arcadia
Punahou Ave. bus stop at Punahou Square
Punahou Square, corner Punahou & Wilder
Wilder @ Keeaumoku makai
Wilder @ Keeaumoku mauka

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

PLASTIC FREE KAILUA

PLASTIC FREE KAILUA took HI-5 bins to show what Eating in Public bins are like in action at two events on May 14. In the morning the bins were at the Kailua Beach Clean Up, and later in the day, at Lanikai Elementary School's "Under the Stars" Concert. Luckily the bins were at the concert because the event organizers sold only plastic/aluminum drinks but had NO recycle bins available for their 400+ attendees!!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

EIP in FLUX HAWAII Summer 2011 issue

from left to right - Janice Li, Duht Duht, Bundit Kanisthakhon, Tere Castro, Gaye Chan, Nandita Sharma, Heidi Fisch, and David Orpin.

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)

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.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

He'eia Park

Archie Baker Park in Makiki - Richard