Sustainable Insights from Bioneers

Photo by Program Director Ulu Makuakane

By Rojelin Capueta, Kaʻū High School, 11th Grade

Six students from Kaʻū High School — Kona Smith, Chazlyn Mukini, Wailea Kainoa, Rojelin Capueta, Ahlyna Flores, and Roxy Castaneda — traveled to Berkeley, California, for the annual Bioneers conference from March 24 to 27. Representing the community-driven program Mālama ʻĀina Compostables, these students engaged with global leaders in environmental sustainability.

Their ultimate goal is to achieve a zero-waste future by ensuring that compostables, recyclables, and plastics are processed responsibly rather than discarded. Now in its third year, the program is evolving through its "Waste to Wealth" Initiative, shifting how the local community thinks about "trash" by treating waste as a valuable resource. These students are proving that managing waste can build wealth for a more sustainable local economy.

For these young Zero Waste Youth Advocates of Mālama ʻĀina Compostables, attending the 37th annual conference in Berkeley was an empowering leadership opportunity. Their commitment to change was sparked by a deep sense of responsibility for their home island, leading to a profound realization that their voices carry weight far beyond the Island of Hawaiʻi.

Flores, a high school junior, shared that growing up in the Philippines left her accustomed to seeing trash as an unavoidable, even normal, part of everyday life. However, her time with the Mālama ʻĀina Compostables program and the Bioneers conference completely changed her outlook, making her realize that systemic change is both possible and necessary so that future generations are not forced to accept pollution as the norm.