Field Notes

On the West Side of Oahu, where crystal blue waters meet the rugged coastline, there's a long simmering battle underway. This close-knit community, long marginalized and overlooked, is fighting against the insidious and pervasive issue of waste colonialism. The West Side is home to Hawaii's largest population of native Hawaiians....

Some big news on the EPR front was announced in Colorado last week, where the state has taken a major step in implementing its extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs for packaging by selecting the Circular Action Alliance as their producer responsibility organization (PRO). This is a pretty big deal for...

With the advent of powerful AI tools, we're rapidly approaching a monumental societal shift that's sure to be a mixed bag of delightful discoveries and spine-chilling uncertainties. So how should we feel about engaging with them?  Well, this post is about PFAS, the pesky cockroaches of the chemical kingdom. They've been...

In a world where countless skincare products harbor chemicals detrimental to both humans and the environment, being confident about the ingredients in your sunscreen can prove to be a daunting task. Continue reading below or listen now: Enter Chris Wilkinson, the visionary founder of Avasol sunscreen, who is determined to...

Duane DeSoto was swimming before he could walk. That was a tradition passed down from his kupuna, or ancestors, in Makaha, on Oahu's West Side. "We grew up with an unbroken connection to their knowledge of the ocean," he explains. "Canoes, fishing, surfing. All of that fed into our stewardship,...

California's Plastic Pollution Reduction and Producer Responsibility Act (SB-54) means big changes are coming for anyone doing businesses in the Golden State in the years ahead. By 2032, when this historic bill is fully phased in, any packaging that isn't reusable, recyclable, or compostable will face significant fees.