Kauai mayoral candidates to face questions on waste management at forum

Kaua‘i voters will hear mayoral candidates answer for the island’s trash system at a free Zoom forum on July 29, where Zero Waste Kauai will press them on landfill capacity, recycling and long-term disposal costs. The event, titled “Talking Trash with Kauai’s Next Mayor,” comes after island-wide residential trash pickup delays and as the Kekaha Landfill has been described as nearing capacity. For households from Līhu‘e to Kapa‘a and businesses in Kōloa, Hanapēpē and Waimea, the test is whether county service can stay reliable without pushing up disposal costs.

The county’s Solid Waste Division says its mission is to provide “reliable and sustainable refuse collection, recycling, transfer, and disposal systems for management of solid waste on Kauai.” That mission now sits at the center of county politics because solid waste touches almost every neighborhood, from daily curbside pickup to the county’s transfer stations, recycling programs and green-waste handling.

The pressure became visible in July 2025, when Kaua‘i County said staffing issues had caused island-wide residential trash pickup delays. By July 25, the county said all previously delayed residential trash collection was expected to be picked up by 11 a.m. that day. In November 2024, the county announced that Kapa‘a Refuse Transfer Station would close for renovations starting Nov. 2, with bagged trash accepted three days a week at the Kapa‘a Base Yard. County refuse transfer stations generally operate from 7:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., seven days a week except county holidays, and the Hanalei green waste site runs from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Those service details matter because they shape what residents can actually do with household trash, yard waste and recyclables on a compact island with limited disposal space. The Kaua‘i County Council adopted an integrated solid waste management plan update in 2021, showing the county has already been forced to think beyond routine pickup. The continuing discussion around the Kekaha Landfill, including a vertical expansion described as a temporary measure, underscores why candidates will be expected to give concrete answers on timelines, disposal options and the cost of each approach.

A free virtual format could widen the audience beyond the usual public meeting crowd, including working families and residents who rely on county services every week. With the election season underway, the forum will give voters a direct way to compare how candidates would handle one of Kaua‘i’s most expensive and unavoidable public services.