The Hawaiian word kokua means help or assistance. With Hawaii’s beautiful but fragile environment, we as visitors need to give our kokua to help keep Hawaii litter-free.
A very easy way for us visitors to help keep Hawaii litter-free is to bring a reusable shopping bag. It’s not only eco-friendly, it’s practical, too. As I have previously shared, we recommend you bring a reusable shopping bag that can provide multiple uses on your Hawaii vacation — like carrying your shopping, doubling as a beach bag and acting as a carry-on for your souvenirs on your way back home. We include bringing a reusable bag on our list of what to pack for Hawaii.
In 2015, Hawaii retailers will be prohibited from supplying plastic shopping bags. So, we might as well get into the habit of bringing our reusable bags now.
Jack Johnson has written this catchy, short song to help remind us why it’s important to avoid plastic in Hawaii.
(Email subscribers: click here to view this post with the video embedded.)
With today being Earth Day, we’d love to hear how you try to make a difference to give your kokua to protect Hawaii’s environment. Please comment with your ideas.
Sheila Beal
6 comments
Great advice. We bring reusable shopping bags when we shop at home, it just makes sense to do the same when traveling.
In fact, we still use our AKL Maui bags at home. 🙂
The other thing we used to do is reuse those giant $0.99 bottles of water you finds at Safeway or the ABC store instead of buying 3-4 new ones each day. Even if you recycle them, having a dozen or more plastic bottles piling up in your hotel room over the course of a week’s stay is still a waste.
Kris – that’s a great idea to reduce plastic with reusing water bottles during your stay — plus saves you money, too. Bonus!
Aloha, Sheila –
We got back last night from a 10-day Maui trip and I am already planning for our trip back to Maui and Kaua’i next year!
Relating to your post above, while driving on Honoapiilani Highway (on our way to dinner at Mama’s Fish House), we saw an empty gallon of water flew out of a rental car. Now, you would not think that was unintentional, would you? We also saw passengers from another rental car throw out a brown bag on the westbound Route 30. It is sad (and maddening) when guests do not show any respect and gratitude to what Maui (or any other Hawai’ian islands) offers!
On another note, we saw whales from the Scenic Lookout on Honoapiilani Highway and also at the Nakalele Blow Hole! Of course, it is not the same as on the tour boat. Oh, well, next year we will.
I’ll send you some photos from our trip to post very soon.
Aloha and Mahalo!
fidel
Aloha Fidel and mahalo for the trip report! I’m glad you got to see whales.
Absolutely, it is maddening that people would little like that! It makes no sense why someone would not properly dispose of their waste on Maui or anywhere for that matter.
I look forward to your photos. 🙂
It seems like no one would litter in a place that is so beautiful. How could they show so little respect for nature and beauty? I think it really starts with educating children so that they can share their enthusiasm with their parents and model that their whole lives.
Agreed, Scarlet.