Refuse Transfer Stations

Announcements:

Phase I of the Kapa'a Refuse Transfer Station renovations will be completed March 12, 2026. The facility will be accepting bagged trash only (no loose mixed waste) and offer recycling services for scrap metal, appliances, used oil, tires, and propane tanks. Residents may continue to bring their green waste to the location at the bottom of Kahi Rd., and mixed loose waste to the Hanapēpē or Līhuʻe Refuse Transfer Stations until the remaining improvements are completed.

Effective March 12, new trailer size limits for all Refuse Transfer Stations in Kaua'i County will go into effect:

• Trailers must not exceed 5 feet wide by 2 feet high by 8 feet long.

• Trailers longer than 8 feet will not be accepted.

•  Side walls may not be added to trailers to increase hauling capacity.

These limits align trailer capacity with the maximum allowable load equivalent to a ¾-ton pickup truck under County ordinance.

Metals and appliance drop-off now open at the following facilities:

• Hanalei Refuse Transfer Station

• Hanapēpē Refuse Transfer Station

• Kekaha Landfill

• Kapaa Refuse Transfer Station Closed for Renovations

• Lihue Refuse Transfer Station does not accept scrap metal and appliances, must be brought to Puhi Metals.

Locations

Hanalei Refuse Transfer Station, 5-3751 Kūhiō HWY

Kapaʻa Refuse Transfer Station, 5051 Kahi Rd. (CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS; STILL ACCEPTING GREEN WASTE)

Līhuʻe Refuse Transfer Station, 3450 Ahukini Rd.

Hanapēpē Refuse Transfer Station, 4380 Lele Rd,

Kekaha Landfill, 6900-D Kaumualiʻi HWY

Refuse Transfer Stations (RTS)- Operating hours are 7:15 am to 3:15 pm, 7 days a week except for County Holidays (Hanalei Green Waste hours: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.) 

FOR TRANSFER STATION  CLOSURES PLEASE GO TO THE LANDFILL & REFUSE TRANSFER STATION STATUS PAGE OR CALL 808-212-4683

Charges apply for commercial deposit of green waste and refuse. All other programs including scrap metal, tires, motor oil, and propane tanks are restricted to residents only. Call 808-241-4841 to learn more about commercial recycling opportunities.

RECYCLING PROGRAMS at Refuse Transfer Stations & Landfill

* Bulky Items are mattresses or furniture greater than 3 feet in size.

Restrictions on Municipal Solid Waste

• Bulky Items, such as mattresses and furniture bigger than three feet, are ONLY accepted at the Lihu'e Transfer Station or the Kekaha Landfill.
• Commercial Construction and Demolition items must be cut into three feet or smaller sections.
• Pallets must be cut in half at all Refuse Transfer Stations (quartered at Lihue RTS) locations except at the Kekaha Landfill.
• Lihue' RTS does not accept Appliances. Please take these items to Puhi Metals, 3951 Puhi Road in Lihu'e. Hours Monday - Saturday 7:30am - 3:30pm. No charge for Residents. Businesses should call 808-245-6919 for a disposal quote.
  

Commercial Waste

Vehicles with Commercial plates are required to purchase Tipping Fee Coupons in order to dispose of mixed waste at RTS's. Coupons are available for purchase at the Treasury Department desk located in the Department of Motor Vehicles building at the Civic Center. Commercial vans, trailers and 3/4 ton capacity trucks are limited to 2 loads per vehicle per day.

Rates are:

• $6 for a commercial passenger vehicle
• $10 for a pickup truck or small trailer 1/2 ton and under (normally an F-150)
• $20 for a full sized pickup truck or large trailer up to 3/4 ton (normally an F-250)

The size limit for trailers is 5’ by 8’ by 2’ or equivalent

All vehicles that exceed 3/4 ton capacity are not authorized to use the Refuse Transfer Stations. Also not authorized are box trucks and box vans.

Any commercial vehicle or truck that has been rented will be subject to Tipping Fee Coupons.

For information on the Landfill along with rates, please visit the Landfill page.

Prohibited Materials

The following materials shall not be accepted or temporarily stored at Refuse Transfer Stations:

(a) Ashes;

(b) Bulky items and construction and demolition debris greater than three (3) feet in any dimension*. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, the Līhuʻe Refuse Transfer Station may accept, from self-haulers, bulky items such as bed mattresses and box springs and other whole furniture items made of wood;

(c) Used motor vehicle and heavy equipment tires whether whole, cut, sliced, chipped, or shredded, except for whole automobile and passenger truck tires from residential self-haulers for recycling;

(d) White goods, except for white goods from residential self-haulers, for recycling;**

(e) Animal carcasses, parts or innards; animal feces not considered pet animal waste, liquid waste; medical waste which has not been rendered non-infectious through sterilization;

(f) Explosives;

(g) Toxic and hazardous wastes;

(h) Pressurized containers, except for propane cylinders of ten (10) gallon capacity or less from residential self-haulers for recycling;

(i) Corrugated cardboard from businesses, industrial, governmental, institutional, and other nonresidential sources that exceeds ten percent (10%) of the load, by volume;

(j) Ferrous and non-ferrous metal items from businesses, industrial, governmental, institutional, and other nonresidential sources that exceed ten percent (10%) of the load, by volume; and

(k) Monitors (cathode ray tubes and liquid crystal displays) from businesses, industrial, governmental, institutional and other nonresidential sources.

The provisions provided in Subsections (i), (j), and (k) of this Section shall not apply to County refuse collection vehicles that collect or receive solid waste from residential sources. (Ord. No. 706, August 6, 1996; Ord. No. 902, July 28, 2010)

*The Kapa‘a Refuse Transfer is restricted to metal and green waste no longer than 6ft in length.

**White goods and metal are not accepted at the Līhu‘e Refuse Transfer Station. Puhi Metals accepts white goods in Līhu‘e from businesses and residents.