Last weekend's Discover Recycling Fair at Blaisdell Arena drew more than scads of schoolchildren oohing and aahing over the compost worms. Trends galore could be spotted at the fair, sponsored by the city. Here's the top five trends we spotted, between the Trash2Fashion parade and the poetry slammers:

1. BACK TO THE MAKER

Sing it with us now: Won't you take old shoes to ... Niketown? The newest buzz is all about "producer responsibility," with recycling that starts at its original home. Makers are finding new uses for their own recycled wares. Take Nike, who has been recycling athletic shoes, broken down by into three components. There's the outsole (bottom of the shoe), which is ground into rubber bits, then used for track surface materials; the midsole, which becomes grind foam perfect for tennis court or weightroom floors; and upper material, or fabric that becomes the mat used under basketball flooring in gyms (www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe). "Producer responsibility is the direction we have to go," said Suzanne Jones, the city's recycling coordinator.

2. LUNCH A BUNCH

How can you harness the energy of keiki caught up in the environmental wave? Get them on board for lunch. A waste-free lunchbox is the big push from the Kokua Hawai'i Foundation, which popularized the new 3 R's (reduce, recycle and reuse, if you haven't been listening to Jack Johnson lately). Keiki can catch recycling fever by bringing their lunch in washable, reusable containers — packable lunch containers, reusable juice jars, etc. (www.wastefreelunches.org). If you get the kids on board you can "make anything happen," said Kokua Hawai'i's Crystal Young.

3. SEND IN THE WORMS

Yes, it's called "vermicast tea," but don't drink this goo — the stuff that comes from worm composting goes better on plants. When six to eight cups of vermicast tea is brewed with 10 gallons of aerated compost, the result is a concoction that helps ward off white flies, mealy bugs and mildew. (And if the delight on the schoolchildren's faces is any indication, worms are big fun, too, breaking down leftover organic matter and wiggling up a storm.) The Moanalua Elementary third-graders were selling the tea as part of a fundraiser, but you can also check it out at www.waikikiworm.com.

4. PROJECT TRASHWAY

Now, don't show up with your checkbook hoping to buy the lampshade made from Monster tea cans or the matching ensemble — shift, purse and hat, all made from turquoise-shaded Arizona tea cans. They're for inspiration only, and the booth owner's mother made them with her own little hands. But the bustier from plant matter and the crocheted hats and totes featured in the fashion show are sure to inspire the budding designer inside you to reach into the trash for a newfound treasure. (Spotted at the RRR Recycling Services booth, and paraded down the makeshift runway for a daily fashion show.)

5. DO THE CAN-CAN

Goodbye, chili tickets, hello HI-5¢ fundraisers. Remember the old days, when you used to be hit up for Zippy's chili sale, Portuguese sausage or popcorn? These days, the fundraiser du jour not only raises money for a band trip or Project Grad night, it also helps clear the garage. Who hasn't been begging for your cans, glass and plastic bottles? If you're not of a mind to collect your 5 cents per can, there are plenty of charities out there that will take them off your hands. All for a good cause.