Hawaii County, HI Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

" Section 20-05-02 goes further: every food vendor using any disposable food service ware, and every County facility user, must use a "suitable recyclable or compostable product" instead, with certification required from an independent third party such as the Biodegradable Products Institute or a similar ASTM-recognized certifier under the chapter's definitions (Section 20-01-03). Three categories are automatically exempt under Section 20-05-03(a): food packaged outside Hawai'i County, reusable coolers and ice chests, and packaging for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs that have not been further processed.

Beyond those, the director may grant an individual food vendor or County facility user a hardship exemption lasting up to one hundred eighty days when compliance would cause undue hardship unique to that operator, based on a written application with supporting documentation (Section 20-05-03(b)(1)-(3)); the director's approval, denial, or partial denial can be appealed to the Environmental Management Commission, and every granted exemption must be posted publicly on the department's website. The mayor separately may suspend the entire article during a declared emergency that threatens public peace, health, or safety, lasting only until the emergency ends (Section 20-05-03(c)).

Because Article 5 sits inside Chapter 20, violations run through the same enforcement track as every other solid waste rule: the director can issue a notice of violation carrying a civil fine up to $1,000 plus up to $1,000 for each day of continued noncompliance (Section 20-02-22), and a criminal conviction is a petty misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and up to thirty days in jail (Section 20-02-23).