The State of Hawaiʻi Environmental Council is the body that informs the State government on environmental issues in Hawaiʻi. Their annual report is distributed to the entire State of Hawaiʻi Legislature as well as the Executive Branch of the state government.
 
The theme of the 2008 annual report was “Food Security and Self-sufficiency”-issues critical to the state of Hawai’i which currently imports 85% of its food. The reports highlights this fact by focusing on the ingredients in Hawai’i’s iconic “local” food, the “plate lunch.” Despite the fact that the plate lunch is considered local fare, the contents of the plate lunch are almost all imported.
 
The report showcases this fact by displaying the plate lunch on the back cover of the report and using the various ingredients of the plate lunch as chapter dividers in the book. These section dividers note the “food miles” that each ingredient travels to reach Hawaiʻi.
 
This information, along with reports on various environmental concerns in the state works to advise the Governor and State Legislature about future actions to take as well as communicate to the general public the importance of sustainability.
 
The annual report is hand-delivered to State Legislature and Governor in (recyclable) plate lunch boxes.
 
BFA Thesis Project / University of Hawaiʻi / Alban Cooper, Anna Fujishige, Etsuko Ono, Megan Wong
 
[Featured in the HOW Magazine 2009 Self Promotion Design Annual]