Kalihi Elementary School is cutting back on single-use plastics thanks to a cafeteria upgrade

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - More than 500 volunteers worked together to improve the campus of Kalihi Elementary School on Saturday.

Among the projects completed, volunteers installed air conditioning systems in several classrooms. They also improved the cafeteria with new fans, a dishwasher and a new coat of paint.

The principal said that because of the new dishwasher, they’ll use metal utensils for students starting next week which will significantly reduce the amount single-use plastics they go through.

“The cafeteria is the heart of our school. It is where we have our community celebrations, it’s where we celebrate our graduations, have community functions. So, to beautify the inside and outside of our cafeteria means we are beautifying the heart of our campus,” said Principal William Grindell.

Each year the Hawaii State AFL-CIO chooses a public school to help. This year, Kalihi Elementary was the selected school.

Volunteers also created a new peace garden which is like an outdoor classroom. Teachers can use it for teaching lessons and more.

Copyright 2020 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.