Dozens of staff at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, managed by ASM Global, created and deployed hundreds of Genki Balls into the Ala Wai Canal to assist with Ala Wai ecosystem restoration in celebration of America Recycles Day on Nov. 15, 2023.
The Center’s staff created 548 Genki Balls and deployed another 500 into the Ala Wai in collaboration with the nonprofit Genki Ala Wai Project, under the Hawaii Exemplary State Foundation. Through bioremediation, or the use of living organisms to remove pollutants from soil and water, the nonprofit organization is working to make the Ala Wai Canal fishable and swimmable within 7 years. The tennis ball-sized Genki mud balls contain a mixture of clay soil, rice bran, molasses, water and Effective Microorganisms (EM)-1 solution, which helps digest the canal’s polluted sludge.
“The Ala Wai Canal is part of what makes the Hawai‘i Convention Center so special, and we are proud to be responsible stewards of this iconic waterway,” said Teri Orton, General Manager of the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
This effort is part of the Center’s Hoʻomaluō (to conserve or manage wisely) conservation program. Hoʻomaluō guides the Center’s leadership in environmental best practices, including energy consumption, water use and waste diversion. November 15 also marked the start of the Global Month of Giving, an initiative spearheaded by ASM Global to help support and give back to local communities.
America Recycles Day is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to celebrate the recycling and waste reduction efforts of communities and businesses throughout the U.S.
