The document summarizes the results of an online survey about sustainability conducted by the group. It includes the survey questions asked about sustainability views and practices. Responses showed differing definitions of sustainability but common themes of resource conservation and balance. The document also provides information about sustainability practices in Hawaii like agritourism, water catchment, and farmers markets. It discusses sustainability efforts at UH Hilo and tips individuals can take to live more sustainably such as reducing waste and buying local.

1. Sustainability

2. Online Survey
Our group conducted a survey on
www.surveymonkey.com to collect ideas from other
college aged students on sustainability. Here are the
questions that we asked...

3. Survey Questions
1. What is sustainability to you?
2. Would you consider yourself to be sustainable?
3. Would you consider your school/community sustainable?
4. If yes, in what ways is your school/community sustainable?
5. In what ways can your school/community practice sustainable living?
6. In what ways are you sustainable?
7. Elaborate on how you can be more sustainable…
We had a total of 18 responses and we decided to include some of the
results in our project.

4. What is sustainability to you?
● “Not quite sure, maybe living in a way that makes minimal
impact on the world.”
● “Being able to adapt, grow, and be self sufficient. Using
resources fully.”
● “Using the right amount of a resource, not
overusing/wasting.”
● “The endeavor to influence and maintain ecological balance.”
● “Utilization of resources so there is no threat of loss overtime.
Being able to sustain your current action indefinitely.”
As you can see, we had some great responses.

5. Sustainability
**Creates and maintains the conditions under
which humans and nature can exist in
productive harmony, that permits the social,
ecological, economic, and other requirements
of present and future generations.

6. Preservation

7. Is Hawaii Sustainable?
According to the survey
we created and
administered, about 50%
of people consider their
community to be
sustainable while the
other 50% feel otherwise.

8. Hawaii Promotes Sustainable Living
● Agritourism
○ merges ag and travel
● Farm visits allow “visitors to observe the growing crop, to view the
processing of the harvest, and to taste and to purchase the final
product”
○ encourages future farmers and the community to grow their
own products
● Farm stays allow visitors to become emerged in the lifestyle
● Follow this link to check out the agritourism offered in Hawaii and
in Hilo.
○ http://www.hiagtourism.org/aboutus.shtml

9. Sustainable Living in Hilo
● Water catchment
○ http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/site/
○ The above link is great to explore and provides a lot of information
regarding water catchment and many other ways someone can be
sustainable when living in Hawaii
● Growing their own food
● Farmers Market (encourages community to support local farmers)

10. Is Sustainability new to Hawaii?
As it may seem, sustainability is not new at all. The native Hawaiians practiced
sustainability long ago through fishing, farming, planting, and much more.

11. Sustainable Island Products (SIP)
● Serves the Islands and the mainland
● Sustainability Association of Hawaii Business
of the Year Award 2012
○ Hawaii leads the way in areas of sustainability
● SIP and Recycle HI currently partner on bins through-
out the Big Island and will soon be expanding
to Maui.
This link is also great and provides updates for different
sustainability related events. It also enables anyone to
support and become involved. http://www.sustainableislandproducts.com

12. How are YOU sustainable?
One of the questions that we included on our survey asked people to
tell us how they live sustainably. We got many great answers such as:
➔ Contributing to and utilizing the “Free
Box” on the UHH campus
➔ Tending to the garden on campus
➔ Using the bus system and riding bikes
➔ Growing your own fruit and vegetables
➔ Making use of the recycling programs
on campus and around town

13. Sustainability at UH Hilo
The UH Hilo Sustainability Council has been working to create a draft for a Sustainability Policy for the
UH Board of Regents
● UH Hilo
○ gathers up trash from the school to turn it into compostable and recyclable material
○ spends money on hauling trash and other used material to the landfill in Hilo
○ buys soil and fertilizer for their Agriculture Program
○ diverted hundreds of gallons of compost from the trash during Orientation Week in 2013
■ Soil was made from the compost and food was grown in the soil
○ has a free EV charging station on campus at the Biology loading dock
○ is involved with a few initiatives having to do with the reduction of energy waste such as
“SmartSockets”
○ is combining with Hawaii Energy’s Student Energy Embassador Development (SEAD)
program
Here is a link that provides all the information about UH Hilo’s attempts to be a sustainable
campus: http://hilo.hawaii.edu/sustainability/

14. Sustainability at UH Hilo

15. Green vs. Sustainability
There is a difference between “being green” and “being
sustainable”. Being green has more to do with being eco-
friendly and caring about the environment. However, being
sustainable refers to the idea that whatever is being done
has the least impact, the least waste and is a cycle or can
be repeated indefinitely without damaging or harming living
things.

16. Tips on how to be Sustainable
1. Reduce or Eliminate Usage of Oil/Gasoline/Petroleum.
This is one of the top problems the world faces. Oil, from which over 90% of the
fuel and energy sources of modern civilization are based and powered, is an
extremely finite resource. Almost everything plastic is based on oil as well as
almost all transportation. The supply of oil the world has left is going to become
critical in areas where there is no substitution for it. In the end, to truly become
sustainable, an individual would have to eliminate all petroleum/fossil fuel
usage from his life.

17. Tips on how to be Sustainable Cont.
2. Know the difference between a “want” and a “need”.
Our culture today revolves around products that advertisers and companies
come up with in hopes of making it desirable. We want to challenge you to
change your mindset when looking at these products. Ask yourself if you really
need it. This ultimately may lead to you not buying new products unless you
truly and genuinely need them. This can also look like you not owning multiples
of a product. This can also involve not following retail trends or styles. Instead
of paying for services, like regular maintenance and repairs, learn to care for
and repair the items you own yourself. Take a step back and look at the
products you already have. Ask yourself and see if you really do need them.

18. Tips on how to be Sustainable Cont
3. Try eliminating waste.
Good areas to start reducing waste:
● Switch to buying in bulk
● Try to stay away from items that use unneeded and non-recyclable
packing and wrapping (household products, food, clothing you buy, etc.)
● Gift-giving: use recycled materials to do gift-wrapping
o try using cloth wrapping that can be used again, or give gifts just
marked with a cute bow or tag
● Choose products that are returnable, reusable, or refillable over single-use
items.

19. Tips on how to be Sustainable Cont.
4. Choose quality over quantity
Buy things that last a lifetime instead of things that you only use once. For
example:
•Pens - Use a fountain pen instead of a disposable one
•Lighters - Use a refillable butane lighter instead of a plastic disposable
one
•Razors - Straight razors last longer than a lifetime and get resharpened
instead of thrown out
•Shoes - Good quality leather shoes get re-soled when they become worn
and last for many years

20. Tips on how to be Sustainable Cont.
5. Buy Local
As college students it is hard to grow your own food so try and find local
business to shop from. It reduces the effects that the transportation of goods
has from bringing food from out of state. In addition, it’s good to support your
local businesses; Not only for food, but for any item you might need.

21. Tips on how to be Sustainable Cont.
6. Cut out electricity
If you can complete a task without electricity, be sure not to use it. Here are a
few ideas to get started:
•Dry clothing on the line instead of using the dryer
•Use manual kitchen tools instead of electric ones
•Use manual yard tools instead of electric or gas-powered ones
•Exercise using just your own body instead of going to the gym

22. Cut Out Electricity!

23. “In what ways are you sustainable?”
● “I am the Director of sustainability of the Associated Students Incorporated
at my University. Therefore I am in charge of the sustainability committee,
which allows me to work on projects to reduce energy and water
consumption in campus. My mission is to increment the outreach for
sustainability within our student population where students can gather the
information they learn in school and apply it at their homes. This will
potentially create environmental communities that are aware about the
importance of conserving our resources for the well being of our planet. “
● “I maintain a level of accountability, integrity and reliability.”
● “We rebuilt the banks of our Salmon bearing creek to reduce erosion and
protect the Salmon.”

24. Start-up Guide
If you are interested in getting more involved on your own campus here is a link
to a really informational and helpful guide!
http://www.sustainabilitydegrees.com/the-ultimate-how-to-guide-for-students/
Here is link on tips on how to eliminate waste
https://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/reduce/top-10-ways-reduce-waste
Here is a link to some tips on sustainability
https://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/reduce/top-10-ways-reduce-waste