By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– Mayor Peter Carlisle announced that Honolulu is a finalist for the “Green City Award” by Waste & Recycling News for excellence in recycling programs.
“I am proud the City and County of Honolulu is being recognized for its many innovative educational programs that are helping Oahu residents, young and old, learn about recycling,” Carlisle said. “We can all do more to keep our island environmentally healthy for future generations.”
Honolulu joins the regional municipality of Halton, Ontario, and San Jose, California, in the Large City category with populations of more than 500,000 residents. More than 100 municipalities submitted nominations for the award in three categories.
The City’s Department of Environmental Services (ENV) has emphasized education and outreach by sponsoring school recycling shows with the Honolulu Theatre for Youth and airing Opalavision segments on “The Green Channel,” one of the first eco-conscious TV networks in the nation.
The City also touts ENV’s award-winning Tour de Trash, the Costco in-store education campaign, its E-newsletter WasteLine and its comprehensive Opala.org website.
Currently, Honolulu is diverting 72 percent of its municipal solid waste from the island’s only landfill, and ENV’s goal is to reach an 80 percent diversion rate.
The Green City Awards recognizes towns, cities, counties, and districts that promote exceptional leadership in successfully communicating and promoting their recycling programs.
One winner in each category will be named on March 30, 2012, at the Waste & Recycling News’ Residential Recycling Conference inDallas, Texas.