Are you hosting a graduation or birthday party and want to make it zero waste? Maui Huliau Foundation, a local environmental education non-profit, has recently launched new zero waste party kits to help events with 20 to 300 attendees reduce the waste they send to the landfill. The kits include a waste station, reusable food ware, and a water refill station. The new kits are a smaller version of the waste stations you may have seen at large community events, which their Huliau Green Events program has used to divert over 20 tons of waste from the landfill since 2017 through composting, recycling, and reuse.
Each kit is customized to fit your needs and comes with a brief online zero waste training. In addition to showing you how to use the stations, the training reviews various zero waste strategies in the Zero Waste Hierarchy from the highest and best to lowest use of materials. The zero waste party kits focus on the top four strategies, by helping you to rethink aspects of your event and reduce unnecessary waste. The kit also helps you to replace disposable items with their reusable plates, bowls, cups, and utensils. Lastly, the training goes over strategies for composting and recycling most other waste at your event.
When food waste decomposes in the landfill it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, making it a significant contributor to climate change. Food waste collected via the zero waste stations is instead fed to pigs or composted on farms, contributing to local soil health and food security. Unfortunately, very few common party and food service items are actually recyclable, especially plastic, so the training also helps you identify and avoid non-recyclable items. Due to the difficulty surrounding global plastic recycling, the kit also includes a water refill station to avoid plastic water bottles, and directs you towards canned or glass-bottled beverages, if necessary.
Pricing varies based on the size of the event, supplies needed, and delivery/pick-up location. Pricing typically ranges from $150- $350, made more affordable by a grant from the County of Maui Department of Environmental Management. Proceeds from the program benefit Maui Huliau Foundation’s programs for Maui youth, making these party kit rentals an overall great way to give back to our ʻāina! To receive a quote, complete the form on their website: mauihuliaufoundation.org/greenevents or contact [email protected].
