Natural Resources: Recycling Specialist
Natural Resources
Recycling Specialist: Chris Hirota
By Mike Yoshiura
Growing up surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Chris Hirota spent most of his free time fishing, diving and surfing. "I loved the ocean so I asked myself, Why not do what I can to preserve it?" Hirota says. He poses a question to the Transition! Hawaii readers ... "You don't go and crap in your backyard, so why do that to the environment?"
Chris is a recycling specialist with the City & County of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services, Refuse Division. As a recycling specialist, he educates the public about the state's waste management system, which was put in place to preserve our Island paradise.
"Most of what I do here is educating the public," Chris says. "I'm kind of like a lower level administration worker. I manage and bid for contracts, go out in the field to check the bins, keep track of tonnages and do my road show for the public."
The trash (aka solid waste) generated by Hawai'i's homes and businesses is collected, managed and recycled by the Refuse Division. The City & County also uses waste-to-energy (H-Power) and composting to reduce the city's landfills.
"In order for these systems to work, everyone has to do their part to properly dispose or recycle their waste materials," Chris says. "It's our home and it's our responsibility to protect and preserve the environment."
Chris attended Oregon State University and majored in environmental sciences, which required a heavy load of biology and chemistry classes. Although he enjoyed taking the required science courses, it was ecology that really grabbed him. "Ecology is the study of how humans affect the environment," he says. "After my first class, I knew that I wanted to somehow be involved with the conservation of our environment."
Chris fields up to 150 calls a week from the Environmental Concern Line, answering questions ranging from environmental concerns to illegal dumping. Once a complaint is placed, he determines which agency is responsible for the proper clean up and disposal.
"As a representative of the city you need to be professional at all times," he says. "When dealing with people you have to remember to be compassionate. A lot of what we do is defusing confusion."
There are many advantages to being a state worker. Chris works 40-hour weeks, and he gets 21 sick days, 21 vacation days and 15 paid holidays. He started out at $36,000 a year, and over the span of six years his annual salary has been bumped up to $52,000.