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Museum Collections Offer Evidence of 3,000 Years of Sustainable Ecosystem Stewardship on Tikopia Island

# SUSTAINABLE EVENT EFFORTS

*BISHOP MUSEUM IS COMMITTED TO MAKING RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND REDUCE OUR IMPACT BY IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE ACTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE. WE ENCOURAGE OUR CLIENTS AND VENDORS TO DO THE SAME.*

Bishop Museum is a plastic-free campus (no single-use plastics) and strives to have all evens hosted on its grounds be the same. Plastic-free means no styrofoam or other single-use plastics (plastics labeled #1-6 are single-use), which includes bags, packaging, bottles, sample cups/spoons, etc.

WE ASK THAT CLIENTS / VENDORS PROVIDE:

  • Reusable products and packaging rather than disposable
  • If disposable products are used, they must be 100% certified compostable
  • Compostable "plastics" are allowed if they are certified compostable
  • Napkins can be either compostable or made with at least 80% post-consumer recycled material
  • Limit single-use plastic packaged beverages (water bottles, juices, etc.). Bishop Museum has numerous water filling stations across campus to use.

STEPS TO MAKE YOUR EVENT PLASTIC FREE:

  • Identify what single-use plastic items you would like to eliminate.

Make a list of all single-use items at your event and which products you are able to eliminate, and find alternate products that can be used to replace them.

  • Let contracted food/beverage vendors know that your event is striving to be plastic-free.

Request them to use compostable/biodegradable serve ware for their food distribution for your event.

  • Waste diversion / zero waste stations.

Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii offers Waste Diversion services for events. With knowledgeable staff and educational resources, SCH separates and diverts waste into compost, recycling & trash with a final report on waste data and diversion rate provided. Reach out to them directly to inquire about this service at: info@sustainablecoastlineshawaii.org.

  • Set up a water refill station to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles.

Using large water dispensers that attendees can use to refill their reusable water bottles, or using the existing water refill stations across Bishop Museum's campus. Make sure to include a reminder to attendees to bring their own reusable water bottles.

Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation offers free water refill stations for large events hosting more than 300+ attendees, if the event organizers agree to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles from the event. Contact them directly at: plasticfree@kokuahawaiifoundation.org

FOOD VENDOR GUIDELINES

In this effort to minimize waste, food and beverage vendors must commit to and comply with the following waste reduction requirements:

  • All foodservice items must be reusable if possible. If you use disposable products, use only certified compostable products according to the American Society for Testing and Materials d6400 or d6868 standards.
  • No single-use plastics. This includes bags, packaging, bottles, sample cups/spoons, etc. Plastic-free means no polystyrene foam (a.k.a. styrofoam) or other single-use plastics (plastics #1-6 – see grid below). Compostable "plastics" are allowed if they are certified compostable.
  • Make sure not to purchase "biodegradable" foodservice items to be served or distributed. Products labeled as "biodegradable" can still contain up to 97% plastic. Look for products that are certified compostable.
  • Certified compostable products are made 100% from plants. Look for "astm certified compostable" logo/seal.
  • No plastic straws. If you provide straws, please use paper or compostable straws and offer them only upon request.
  • Allow attendees to bring their own cup, utensil or plate. Consider offering a discount for this.
  • Earthchoice products are not allowed. These have a tree in the logo, but are mostly made of plastic. Ensure your products are certified compostable.
  • Napkins can be either compostable or made with at least 80% post-consumer recycled material. Non-bleached preferred.
  • Do not sell beverages in single-use plastic bottles. Beverages in aluminum or glass containers can be sold.
  • No takeout bags made of plastic. Paper bags or reusable bags can be distributed/ sold.

We recommend World Centric products. Below is a list of distributors that sell compostable products. Be sure to ask for "certified compostable":

LOCAL DISTRIBUTORS:

*SUSTAINABLE ISLAND PRODUCTS* 808-769-4905 INFO@SUSTAINABLEISLANDPRODUCTS.COM PRICE MATCHING OFFERED. 831 LEILANI ST. SUITE N, HILO, 96720

*PREMIUM INC. (O'AHU)* (808) 839-9802 2644 WAIWAI LOOP, HONOLULU, 968191

*TRIPLE F DISTRIBUTING (O'AHU)* (808) 842-9133 98-735 KUAHAO PL, PEARL CITY, 96782

*CHEF ZONE* (808) 852-6700 2888 UALENA ST, HONOLULU, 96819

*HANSEN DISTRIBUTION GROUP* 808-456-3334 96-1282 WAIHONA ST, PEARL CITY, 96782

ONLINE RESOURCES:

*AARDVARK STRAWS* PAPER STRAWS

ECOPRODUCTS

WORLD CENTRIC

About Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History

Bishop Museum’s mission is to inspire our community and visitors through the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a royal descendant of King Kamehameha I. Today, the Museum thrives as an educational center for the community and is widely regarded as the world’s premier institution for Hawaiian and Pacific content.

Bishop Museum’s vast collections of more than 25 million objects and specimens represent nine disciplines and include more than 22 million biological specimens, over 2 million cultural objects, 115,000 historical publications, and 1 million photographs, films, works of art, audio recordings, and manuscripts. These collections tell the stories of the cultures and biodiversity of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific as well as the proud legacy of scholarly research spanning 130 years.

Bishop Museum proudly serves more than 200,000 visitors each year, including 20,000 children on school visits. Guests are encouraged to pre-plan their trip to #HawaiisMuseum with its free digital guide, available through Bloomberg Connects.

To learn more about the Museum’s research, collections, exhibits, and programs, visit BishopMuseum.org, follow @BishopMuseum on Facebook and Instagram, visit Bishop Museum’s YouTube channel, or call (808) 847-3511. Bishop Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Bishop Museum is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and welcomes applicants from the military, veterans, and those with disabilities. Learn about careers at Bishop Museum at BishopMuseum.org/Careers and on its LinkedIn page.

Bishop Museum Press is Hawaiʻi’s oldest book publisher and one of the first scholarly publishers in the Western Hemisphere, and has published over 1,200 titles and distributed over 1 million books in 72 countries worldwide. Bishop Museum hosts a restaurant and gift shop on campus, Tūtū’s Place by Highway Inn and Shop Pacifica by Nā Mea Hawaiʻi.