A new HI-5 recycling pilot program spearheaded by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students in partnership with the local nonprofit organization, Bottles4College, is transforming sustainability efforts in student housing facilities. The students identified a lack of accessible recycling options and collaborated with the UH Office of Sustainability to develop a project to bring recycling to Frear Hall.
The program launched with an event on four floors of Frear Hall where participants sorted two 48-gallon bins of recyclables. The initiative, created through Bottles4College’s platform, provided student residents with a convenient way to recycle HI-5 bottles, reducing waste and promoting sustainability while also creating more accessibility to higher education. The next event is scheduled for February 8.
“I witnessed firsthand the limited recycling options available,” said Giada Colombo, a former student housing resident. “I wanted to improve that for future students, making sustainability not just an option but a convenient choice for everyone living on campus. It’s exciting to see the positive impact our efforts are having on both the environment and our community.”
Reducing waste, funding the future
Through the collaboration, all collected HI-5 bottles at Frear Hall were donated to Bottles4College’s program to help create college scholarships for students in Hawaiʻi.
“We want to thank the students and staff at Frear Hall for making this happen,” said Miles Topping, director of UH Office of Sustainability. “We hope this type of effort continues to grow across the campus with more students getting involved at more UH facilities.”
“Bottles4College is very excited to be able to bring sustainability through recycling to UH Mānoa’s Frear Hall and cannot thank the UH students, Mr. Topping, Giada, and the rest of their team for making this possible,” said Genshu Price, Bottles4College founder. “We look forward to building a greener future through this initiative and more.”
If successful, the program plans to expand to other UH Mānoa residence halls to continue promoting sustainable practices into student life.
