Since arriving in Hawaii in August one huge difference that I have noticed is the amount of stuff that is Recycled. Hawaii is a small state located 2,500 miles from the US mainland and 2,500 miles from Asia. Due to its remote location and small size Hawaiians have to be cautious in the way they treat their land if they wish for it to remain in the same condition as it is now. There are only so many places to drag trash and build huge landfills.
Nearly every bottle, can, you name it, can be redeemed for 5 cents in Hawaii. Besides the monetary bribe of returning your recyclables, people take more pride in keeping their islands clean then we do on the mainland. It's not uncommon to hear locals say, "keep the island clean," "respect the island." Wouldn't it be nice if we all treated our homes with such respect?
1 comment:
I've often noticed that you can receive the 5 cent "bribe" for recycling in Hawaii, but I never made the connection between no place for landfills on the islands and the recycling incentive. It is too bad more states don't offer that because it would likely help create a more earth conscious group on the mainland since "money talks." Its too bad though that many Americans would need that "bribe" to recycle.
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