Many students rely on caffeinated drinks every morning to keep them awake throughout the school day.

Beverages such as the glass-bottled Starbucks Iced Frappuccino or aluminum-canned Monster Energy drinks are common amongst Kamehameha students, but does anyone ever wonder where they end up after they are finished? Honolulu Civil Beat reporter, Claire Caulfield, explains how there are numerous implications for the disposal of these products, however, there is no information on where they are processed.

Hawaii residents are beginning to become concerned about where their recyclables go after they drop them off at recycling centers. Lanikai resident, Lois Crozer said, “I don’t know if what I recycle… is ending up in Malaysia or something where it’s being burned and making people sick; I just want to make sure what we’re doing is pono.”

In various state reports, it is said that Hawaii recyclables are shipped to various Asian countries, while some of it remains on the islands. Suggestions of establishing a recycling facility in the state have been denied due to Hawaii’s small size, despite the large population to small land area ratio.

As the Honolulu Civil Beat continues to investigate this matter, Timothy Houghton, deputy director of the Honolulu Department of Environmental Services said “We’re not even sure that recycling is the best way to go”, putting the benefits of recycling into question.