"Opalavision" aims to make being green a bit easier.

Not sure whether those plastic containers on your kitchen counter are good for recycling or refuse? Ever wonder whether the opala (garbage) sorting routine is worth the effort? The answers are just a few clicks away on Oceanic Time Warner Cable's new digital offering, The Green Channel.

Channel 332 — tucked between the Discovery Channel and the Learning Channel — will make its debut Friday with the premiere of "Opalavision," an interactive show about the City of Honolulu's recycling and waste management programs.

Through pithy three-minute episodes, Suzanne Jones, city recycling coordinator and show co-producer, said: "We're not just telling people about how to recycle and how it works. We're showing them how it works."

She hopes viewers will absorb pointers about stepping up recycling efforts and find themselves saying: "Wow, that's cool. I can do that."

Jones, who has promoted city recycling efforts for two decades, added, "Telling people can get oh-so preachy. But by showing how cool and how easy it is, I think (environmental concepts and new habits) could take hold faster."

Tamara Rapp, 13, plays the role of a "trash investigative reporter" in an episode titled "Pimp My Ride, City and County Edition." She catches a ride on a recycling truck and learns about controls and monitoring gear used to hoist and unload curbside bins.

Ever wonder what would happen if someone mistakenly fills a recycling bin with refuse?

The teen reporter explains that recycling truck drivers watch a camera to see what's falling into the hopper. While a driver typically cannot stop the drop, the mistake is noted and the offender will be alerted.

Other "Opalavision" episodes cover topics ranging from the workings of an elementary school's 18-foot worm composting bin to operation of the H-Power plant, which converts refuse into electrical energy to help power Oahu homes.

Rapp's castmates include: Darah Dung, 28; Cody Gomes, 19; Jonah Hookano, 15; and Ari Dalbert and Brandi Taylor, both 10.

The two youngest actors appear together to banter and grapple with Hawaii's environmental issues. "They can be more interesting and entertaining to listen to than adults talking at you" about recycling, Jones said.

When viewers go to The Green Channel, an "Opala-vision" episode will start rolling, and an on-screen interactive menu will allow viewing other episodes in the lineup.

The quick-moving setup is designed to hold multitasking viewers long enough to present episodes.

"We're the first eco-conscious television network with this technology" said Allan Pollock, vice president for marketing at Oceanic.

The program gets its premiere Friday at the Green Aloha Concert. Members of the local cast will appear at the free event to discuss episodes and their own commitment to green living.

"Opalavision," which now includes seven episodes, will air new shows monthly. One will walk viewers through what happens after recyclables are delivered to a center for sorting, packing and shipping by commodity. All episodes will be available online at the city's Web site, www.opala.org.

In the future, Oceanic plans to add content tied to local environmental business pursuits such as solar energy and wind power to Channel 332. The cable company is also developing a Green Channel Web site, through which individuals will be able to profile their own carbon footprint and seek out ways to reduce it.

Over the past two decades, Oahu has changed its recycling profile. In 1988, residents recycled 73,992 tons of trash. By 2008, that figure had increased to 674,300 tons, according to city records.

The trend will continue, Jones said, as the city's curbside recycling program expands to include a total of 160,000 homes by May.

The next areas slated to join the program are Foster Village to Makiki, and from Kahuku to Kahaluu. Residents there will start filling multiple bins next month.