HONOLULU – The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services (ENV) is reminding residents that keeping plastic and trash out of green carts matters more than people may realize.
Green carts are collected and sent to Hawaiian Earth Recycling where green waste is turned into compost. But when plastic bags, food wrappers, utensils or other non-compostable items end up in the cart, they can contaminate the entire load.
“One plastic bag might not seem like a big deal, but at a composting facility, it means extra sorting, higher costs or compost that can’t be used the way it should,” ENV Director Roger Babcock said.
Plastic doesn’t break down like yard waste. It shreds into smaller pieces that can end up in finished compost, and no one wants that in our soil, parks or farms.
Lawmakers continue working to reduce the need for landfills and composting plays an important role, but only when it’s done right. Trash that must be removed from green waste doesn’t disappear, it still ends up in the landfill, undermining the goal of waste reduction.
As the city prepares to launch its G.R.O.W. (Green Recycling Organic Waste) pilot program collecting food scraps in curb side green carts on April 1, 2026, they are urging the public to keep plastics out.
Plastics, even those labeled compostable or biodegradable, do not break down properly in local composting systems and are not allowed.
“When green carts are clear of plastic and other contaminants, composting works and our community benefits,” Babcock said.
The reminder is simple:
If it didn’t grow, don’t put in in the green cart.
For more information on the G.R.O.W. pilot program, and what belongs in the green cart, visit Honolulu.gov/env
Department of Environmental Services
City and County of Honolulu
YouTube: @CCHNL_ENV
Instagram: @hnl.env
Facebook: HNL.ENV1
