About Project

OUR STORY:

The story is quite simple. It starts with awareness and compassion. Before doing something, one can think about the consequences of one's actions. A simple weighing of the costs and benefits of each action can guide us in our decisions.

Normally, I cook all of my meals. Going out to eat is rather unusual for me. So, a few years ago, when I found myself looking at a deli, ready to buy some food, I saw only disposable containers on display. There were no re-usable ones.

I was hungry, but I could not bring myself to use a container only to throw it in the trash fifteen minutes later. I asked, "If I brought my own bowl, would you put the food in it?" The person in the deli of Kokua Market not only said yes, but he was very enthusiastic about the environmental benefits of that. I asked, "If I made a poster to encourage customers to bring their own containers, would you put it up in your store?" He replied that he would have to ask the manager, but a few months later, I had made a sign, and it was hanging in Kokua Market -- and other small restaurants in Honolulu.

Some places, like Da Spot, even agreed to give larger portions to people who brought their own containers! And guess what? More and more people started to do it.

But the lonely sign didn't get enough attention.

I decided to write a few scripts, find a few actors and actresses, and film something that could be broadcast on Olelo. That way, we could tell more people about the project, and also offer a $100 prize for entering a contest to go out and do the behavior.

After making the Olelo productions, and getting support from those who helped, I decided to take the project further.

THINK ABOUT IT:

If we use a Styrofoam plate, the benefit is that we don't have to think about anything. We just go and buy it, use it, and get rid of it. The negatives? We waste the water and fossil fuels used in processing and making it, and then it clutters our landfills, pollutes the air if burned, and invariably ends up getting into the ocean. Finally, it never decomposes... it only breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic... which end up in OUR bodies, more and more.

If we use a reusable container, on the other hand, the benefits are that we are not being wasteful. It keeps our world safer and cleaner. The negatives? We have to start a habit of bringing one, we use relatively little water to clean it, and... that's all.

CHOICE:

So make your choice.

But do take time to weigh the costs and benefits.