A community hui of artists, creatives, engineers, non-profit organizations and local government, have teamed up to design and deliver a creative placemaking project, Transforming Trash. Utilizing an Our Town Grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, this visionary initiative weaves art, culture, and technology to enhance quality of life for Hawai‘i Island residents while fostering local economics, physical well-being, and social cohesion.

Through a series of activations, plastic waste will be diverted from local landfills and removed from local beaches. Plastic materials collected will be transformed into public art to be installed in two County parks in Ka‘ū and Downtown Hilo.

Key objectives of this collaborative, demonstration project include:

• Community-Driven Artwork: Artist-facilitated community planning of public artwork

• Tech-Art-Culture Fusion: Leverage technology to blend with the arts and culture 

• Creative Industry Boost: Diversify the island’s creative economy through innovative projects 

• Youth Engagement: Encourage youth involvement, exercising voice, ideation, and creation

• Environmental Awareness: Raising public consciousness regarding waste streams and the fragility of our island ecosystem

• Plastic Reduction: Evaluate consumption habits, urging a shift away from plastic use