Kauai County, HI Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

Section 21-2.3(a) authorizes the County Engineer to establish regular collection service for refuse removal, and the Department of Public Works fixes the pickup day for each service area. Collections are not made from inside structures or enclosures unless the department approves an exception, and grass, hedge and similar cuttings must sit adjacent to the public right-of-way under § 21-2.2(a) to be eligible for pickup. Under § 21-2.3(c), the base frequency is fixed at once per week, a standard the Council adopted for the protection of public health and the control of flies, insects and rodents.

Automated-service premises get one County-owned cart per address under § 21-2.1(b), with additional carts issued at the County Engineer's discretion, while manual-collection households must supply their own galvanized-metal or plastic receptacle of 20 to 32 gallons, capped at 75 pounds loaded, under § 21-2.1(c). Receptacles go out at the boundary of the premises and the nearest public highway, no more than 20 feet back from the road, per § 21-2.2(a)(2), though the County Engineer can waive that distance for hardship cases on narrow private roads.

Where a property carries an unusual location, type or accumulation of refuse, § 21-2.3(d) lets the Engineer add a service charge based on actual cost, and § 21-2.3(e) makes it unlawful to park within six feet of a collection container in a way that blocks removal or the crew's approach to it. If a scheduled pickup is missed, the resident must tell the Department of Public Works within three days under § 21-2.2(h). Violating any part of Chapter 21, including these collection rules, draws the penalty fixed in § 21-1.6.