Participants in a Community Design Workshop
At Perpetual, we envision a world where communities are free from the burden of disposable foodware and single-use packaging. Neighborhoods, parks, and beaches are clean, and reuse collection bins decorated with local art bring color and energy to the landscape. Rates of illnesses associated with exposure to chemicals in plastic, paper, fiber, and compostable foodware and packaging are lower across all demographics. Reuse systems are recognized as bringing good jobs and cultivating connection. Community members are proud of their reuse system, established despite the significant barriers to disrupting single-use consumption, and providing clear evidence that we can do better.
Your gift through this Giving Tuesday page will pay for the implementation of the local marketing and education campaign accompanying the launch of the Hilo Reusable Foodware System coming up in 2025. Read more about the project in Hilo here.
Hilo Reusable Foodware Project partners include Zero Waste Hawaiʻi Island, Hawaiʻi County Department of Environmental Management, and University of Hawaiʻi’s Sea Grant College Program. Over the last two years, we have engaged across the Hilo and Hawaiʻi Island community, facilitated a Community Design Process, and secured two EPA grants to cover much of the cost of launching the system. With this funding, we will soon be purchasing the reusable containers, installing the dishwasher and reuse return bins, and training restaurant staff on how the system works. But we still need funding for the Marketing and Education Campaign, which is critical to the success of this program! Unique messaging and imagery, informed by behavioral research, will shape people’s first impressions, invite them to give it a try, and reinforce the importance of having alternatives to single-use disposable items.
Thank you for considering providing support for this transformational project!
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