The County of Hawai'i does not provide curbside household or business rubbish collection. Most residents self-haul their trash and recyclables to one of the 22 recycling and transfer stations. Hawai'i County Code 20-03-01 requires disposal at a county-approved facility.
There is no county garbage truck route in most of the Big Island. All residential recycling and transfer stations accept household self-haul rubbish at no charge, limited to one residential load per day, and no commercial, government, or farm waste is allowed in that free residential stream. Businesses and organizations must instead obtain a disposal permit and pay fees under HCC 20-03-02 before dropping waste. Some communities have private subscription haulers, but the baseline legal duty is to bring your own solid waste to an approved SWD facility.
Disposing of solid waste anywhere other than a county-approved facility violates HCC 20-03-01 and, if dumped, triggers the chapter's fines; criminal violations are a petty misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and/or 30 days.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Hawaii County, HI
Hawai'i County has no separate hoarding ordinance; the matter is handled under state cruelty law. Depriving pet animals of necessary sustenance is cruelty in...
Hawaii County, HI
Ordinance No. 25-63 (Bill 51, 2025) makes it illegal to feed feral animals, including cats, chickens, pigs and goats, on County of Hawai'i property, to prote...
Hawaii County, HI
Home composting is allowed and encouraged in Hawai'i County. The county runs green-waste diversion at its transfer stations and recycling programs, but there...
Hawaii County, HI
The County of Hawai'i has no ordinance banning or specifically regulating artificial turf on residential yards. Installation must still meet zoning setbacks,...
Hawaii County, HI
There is no county rule requiring native landscaping, but the Big Island is ground-zero for invasive-species control. Planting or spreading state-listed noxi...
Hawaii County, HI
Rainwater catchment is legal and common on the Big Island — many Puna and off-grid homes rely on it. The County Department of Water Supply does not recognize...
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