Kauai County suspends free junk vehicle disposal service starting May 1

If you have an inoperable car, truck or other junk vehicle sitting in your yard, driveway or near the road, Kauai County is no longer taking it for free right now. The County of Kauai Solid Waste Division said Resource Recovery Solutions, the operator of the Puhi Metals Recycling Facility, cannot accept vehicles for disposal because of capacity issues starting May 1, and the suspension will continue until further notice.

That means residents will need to hold onto unwanted vehicles longer than expected, look for private towing or scrap options, or turn to other county programs if they qualify. The county also said the Kauai Police Department will not process abandoned and derelict vehicles for disposal during the pause, and the public was told not to call KPD Dispatch to ask for vehicle pickups. For households already dealing with a dead sedan, a stripped truck or a vehicle that has sat too long, the change removes the free county outlet that many people have relied on.

Puhi Metals Recycling Facility is at 3951 Puhi Road in Līhue and is normally open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Residents bringing in a vehicle are usually told to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before closing time. The county says residential users have historically been able to use the service free of charge, which makes the suspension especially disruptive for families trying to clear space on private property without paying private hauling rates.

County rules define an abandoned vehicle as one left unattended for more than 24 hours on a public highway or unlawfully parked on public property. A derelict vehicle is one with major parts removed or so much damage that it is inoperable. During the suspension, people with vehicles that fit those definitions cannot rely on the usual county pickup path, even though the Kauai Police Department Traffic Safety Section normally handles abandoned-vehicle reporting through the Abandoned and Derelict Online Report.

The county said officials are actively reviewing options to restore the service and expect the interruption to be temporary, but no restart date was given. It also has an income-based vehicle hauling program for residents, nonprofits and small farmers, which may be one alternative for some property owners while the regular disposal service is paused.

The county’s solid waste system already depends on Puhi Metals as part of a broader network that includes transfer stations, the Kekaha Phase II Landfill and islandwide recycling programs. If the suspension lasts, the burden could show up in a more visible way, with more abandoned vehicles lingering along roadsides and in neighborhoods and more cleanup pressure shifting back onto the county and its taxpayers. Residents with questions can contact the Solid Waste Division at 808-241-4841 or SolidWaste@kauai.gov.