Kauai County reminds residents to dispose of hazardous waste properly

Kauai County Public Works Solid Waste Division is reminding residents that household hazardous waste belongs at county collection events, not in regular trash. The county’s guidance is aimed at keeping old chemicals, fuel, batteries and paint out of landfills, out of storm runoff and out of the hands of trash crews, children and pets.

The county says residents can bring household hazardous waste to county collection events. Accepted items include automotive products, lawn and garden products, oil-based paints, thinners and stains, fluorescent lights and batteries. A county reminder bulletin dated June 27, 2025, also listed batteries, gasoline, cleaners and oil-based paints among the materials residents could bring.

Officials draw a hard line on several items that do not belong in those events. The county says latex paint is not accepted at residents-only household hazardous waste collection events because it is not hazardous material. Its recycling FAQ says any type of paint must be dried before disposal if it is not being taken as household hazardous waste. County press-release language also says waste, latex paint, tires, used motor oil and e-waste are not accepted at household hazardous waste collection events.

The residents-only label matters. The county says these events are meant for household-generated hazardous waste, not material from commercial jobs or larger disposal loads. That distinction is important in Kauai County, where a leaking can of solvent, a forgotten pesticide jug or a cracked battery can create problems long after a garage cleanout or yard project is finished. Improper disposal can expose sanitation workers, landscapers and neighbors, while chemicals that escape into drains or the ground can move quickly into streams and the ocean.

The county has treated household hazardous waste as a recurring service, not a one-time cleanup. Similar collection-event notices were posted in March 2025 and again in April 2026, underscoring that residents have regular opportunities to clear out hazardous material instead of leaving it in storage or tossing it with household garbage.

For households doing post-storm cleanup, pre-hurricane organizing or a garage purge, the county’s message is straightforward: separate hazardous products before they reach the trash. Keep latex paint out of HHW drop-offs, dry paint before disposal if it is not being handled as hazardous waste, and bring accepted household chemicals to county collection events so they can be processed through the right channel.