One of the best ways to live zero waste is to reuse.

Reuse means using things multiple times, repairing rather than buying new, donating to charities and community groups, or re-selling items.

These actions prevent solid waste from entering the landfill, allow our communities to flourish and make our island a better place to live. Just by taking useful products discarded by those who no longer want them and providing them to those who do helps more citizens on our island. In many cases, reuse supports local community and social programs while providing donors with tax benefits and reduced disposal fees.

Replacing single-use items with reusable goods whenever possible, is even better than recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again.

• Ways to reuse the things you have.
• Places to give away things that are still useful.
• Bubble wrap and foam peanuts can be reused.

Ways to reuse:

• When you go shopping, bring your own reusable bag.
• If you do get a disposable food container, wash and reuse it.
• Take a coffee mug from home when you go to a coffee shop.
• Reuse the back side of paper for taking notes.
• Repair broken or worn items if possible
• Buy or sell used items:
  • at a yard sale,
  • in the classified ads in a local paper,
  • at a consignment shop or pawn shop,
  • on the internet, at a buy and sell website.

Items to give away:

Online

• Craigslist.org
• Freecycle.org

West Hawai'i REUSE CENTERS

Take house building items to:

• Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 331-8010

Take household items to:

• Salvation Army Thrift Shop (Kailua-Kona), 331-1307
• Salvation Army Thrift Shop (Waimea), 885-2155
• Kona Outdoor Circle Thrift Shop (Kailua-Kona), 329-6217
• St. James Episcopal Church Thrift Shop (Waimea), 885-0560
• Keauhou Reuse Center at the Keauhou Recycling Point & Transfer Station
  Open daily 6:30 am - 6:30 pm
  except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's
  For more information call Recycle Hawai‘i at 969-2012.

East Hawai'i Reuse Centers

Take house building items to:

• Hale Aloha O Hilo Habitat for Humanity ReStore
  140 Kino‘ole St.
  935-6677
  Mon. & Wed. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
  Tues. & Thurs. 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
  Fri. 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Laulima Hana Resale Store (Operated by The ARC of Hilo)
  Opening Soon!
  935-8534  
  Shipman Industrial Park, Kea‘au
  Wed. - Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
  Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
  Tues. Donation Pick-up Day
• Kea‘au Recycling & Reuse Center at the Kea'au Recycling Point &Transfer Station
  Open daily 6:30 am - 6:30 pm
  except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's
  For more information call Recycle Hawai‘i at 895-6815.

Take household items to:

• Goodwill Industries (Hilo), 961-0307
• Salvation Army Thrift Shop (Hilo), 935-5531
• Kea‘au Recycling & Reuse Center at the Kea'au Recycling Point & Transfer Station
  Open daily from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm
  except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's
  For more information call 895-6815.
• Laupāhoehoe Reuse Center at the Laupāhoehoe Recycling Point & Transfer Station
  Open daily 6:30 am - 6:30 pm
  except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's
  For more information call Recycle Hawai‘i at 969-2012.
• Smith's Appliance, 961-0322 (white goods and appliances)
• Hale Aloha O Hilo Habitat for Humanity ReStore (Hilo), 935-6677
  Offers and accepts limited home furnishing items or appliances in good condition (new or "gently used").
  Limited pick-up service available. Call first.

Packing Materials

Bubble wrap and foam peanuts are accepted by many local businesses:

• Kailua Business Center, 329-0038
• Kailua Candy Company, 329-2522
• Post Net (Hilo), 959-0066
• One-Stop Mail Shop (Pahoa), 965-1111
• Honoka'a Live Art Gallery, 775-1240
• Waipi‘o Valley Artworks, 775-0958
• Volcano Island Honey (Ahualoa), call 775-1000