When Disney set out to bring the beloved story of Lilo & Stitch to life in a new live-action adaptation, it took a cue from Stitch and decided to break the status quo by collaborating with local organizations for a first-of-a-kind Hawai‘i film production.
Filmed entirely on the island of O‘ahu, the production took its responsibility to honor the land and the community that made the movie possible to heart — transforming the way a film set can operate to reduce waste, repurpose materials, and give back.
Over 46 days of filming across locations including Mākaha, Kapolei, Haleʻiwa, Kahuku, Kāneʻohe, Hālawa, Honolulu, and Hawai‘i Kai, the Lilo & Stitch production team diverted on-set waste from landfills, instead turning it into valuable resources for the local community.
Local Collaboration, Lasting Impact
Disney worked with four Hawai‘i-based organizations — Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i (SCH), Bottles4College, Full Circle Farms, and Aloha Harvest — to rethink traditional production practices and embed sustainability throughout the production process.
The results of this work speak volumes:
- 80% of on-set waste was diverted from landfills and reused in the community with the support of Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i. The coastlines protection-focused organization set up waste sorting stations across set locations — with clearly marked bins for recycling, compost, and trash — while providing on-site education to help cast and crew prep traditional waste for its next use.
- 18,000 pounds of food scraps and compostable packaging was sent to the local Full Circle Farms to be transformed into nutrient-rich soil used to grow local product.
- Over 3,500 pounds of surplus food was donated to the food rescue nonprofit Aloha Harvest, providing the equivalent of two years’ worth of meals for one person.
- Meanwhile, nonprofit Bottles4College ensured bottles and cans were not just recycled, but funds collected from the recycling facility were used to support college scholarships for local students.
- Used cooking oil from set kitchens was converted into biodiesel, a cleaner-burning fuel alternative.
- Props, lumber, and set materials found new life with local nonprofits and schools after filming wrapped.
A New Model for Movie-Making
The best part about this work is that it isn’t a one-off project, but rather a proof of concept for how film productions — especially those in resource-limited locations like Hawai‘i — can operate more sustainably and embrace new habits to carry over into future projects.
From the materials used on set to the meals served each day, Disney’s sustainability team found a creative approach to production that only complements the creative process on screen.
To see this good work in action, watch Lilo & Stitch, now exclusively in theaters.