Litter is more than just a mark on our landscape. Litter is costly to clean up, impacts our quality of life and economic development, and eventually ends up in our waterways and oceans. Each year in Waikiki, a powerful network of community-based affiliates conducts a comprehensive assessment of the overall appearance of their community using indicators such as litter, illegal signs, graffiti and more. Mayor Mufi Hannemann took this feedback into consideration when he announced the coming installation of new trash receptacles along Waikiki Beach Walk. The beach walk is in the heart of Waikiki’s most exciting shopping, dining, and entertainment district and it was imperative they keep this area clean for tourists and their waterways. Working very closely with the city recycling programs Mayor Hannemann sought after the best-looking trash receptacles on the market.

The city teamed up with SiteScapes- a leading manufacturer of commercial furnishings and Merge MFG- a full service custom fabricator to brainstorm how to transform unappealing trash receptacles into something that would blend in with a beautiful surrounding. The plans started with a sleek, simple and unobtrusive design that will mask the actual trash bins. The hidden hinges allow trash collectors to ‘open’ the receptacle and easily remove the discarded rubbish. The strong steel construction will not be easily damaged and can deliver a long service life. The final decision to consider was corrosion protection. The team had to determine how they could blend-in the receptacles while still protecting them from the corrosive environment.

It is easy to understand why corrosion protection is paramount in this tropical environment. Hawaii is surrounded by salty sea air that will accelerate the corrosion rate of metal products unless adequately treated. In addition, the constant flow of various forms of trash - including food - would create an even harsher environment. Hot-dip galvanized steel can be seen in various applications around the Hawaiian Islands as it has a history of protecting structures from the ocean air. It is extremely durable and abrasion resistant making it an almost ideal solution for this project. The only downfall is the silver zinc coating would not match the overall aesthetics of its surroundings. Finally, the pieces of the puzzle come together as the team finds a duplex coating to be the answer. By selecting galvanized steel with a powder coated topcoat, the city takes advantage of the bountiful qualities hot-dip galvanizing has to offer with the added benefit of matching their community’s color scheme.

The trash receptacles are now installed along the Waikiki Beach Walk and the city is happy with the final results. Although it is not a glamorous project, it is an important one that will create a cleaner environment for residents and tourists. Litter will stay off of the beach and out of the ocean because proper means of disposal are nearby.