Kona Transfer Station & West Hawaiʻi Landfill — Hours, Fees & Rules
In Kailua-Kona, residents use the Kealakehe Recycling & Transfer Station at 74-598 Hale Mākaʻi Place, open every day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and free for household rubbish.
The West Hawaiʻi Sanitary Landfill on Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway takes everything else by weight, at $128 a ton, and is the island's only site for construction and demolition debris.
Disposal sites in Kona
Kailua-Kona (Kealakehe) Recycling & Transfer Station
Transfer station
County of Hawaiʻi Department of Environmental Management
74-598 Hale Mākaʻi Pl., Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 Directions ↗
Hours
Every day
6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Fees
Free for household rubbish
One load a day, up to 3 cu. yd.
Accepts: Household rubbish; cardboard, brown paper bags and non-HI-5 glass (8 a.m.–4 p.m.); scrap metal and appliances; green waste Sat, Sun, Wed; free mulch daily; reuse center.
Won't take: Commercial, government or farm waste; trailers and dump-bed trucks.
Rubbish drop-off is 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on open days. Residents can drop green waste free at the West Hawaiʻi Organics Facility (71-1111 Queen Kaʻahumanu Hwy., Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.) and at Kealakehe, Waimea and Keʻei.
Rules
County recycling and transfer stations are for household self-haul rubbish only: no commercial, government or farm waste, one load per vehicle a day, up to 3 cubic yards, and no trailers or dump-bed trucks. Scrap metal and household appliances are free at the stations that take them; refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers go in the designated area. Microwaves count as rubbish, not appliances. All county stations close on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
At the landfill, everyone except residents needs a county Solid Waste Facility Disposal Permit ($50 application). Call the scale house at (808) 854-2773 a day ahead if you're bringing more than 50 cubic yards of construction debris.
Hawaiʻi law keeps lead-acid car batteries (HRS 342I-1) and whole motor vehicle tires (HRS 342I-22) out of trash and landfills: they go back to a retailer or to a permitted recycler. Electronics are handled through the state's manufacturer take-back program rather than a landfill ban, and large appliances are collected separately for recycling at county sites.
The Kealakehe Recycling & Transfer Station at 74-598 Hale Mākaʻi Place is open every day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and free for household rubbish. It closes on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
How much does the West Hawaii landfill cost?
$128 a ton, with $256 a ton for special-handling waste and $25 extra for unsecured loads. It doesn't take cash.
Where do I take construction debris on the Big Island?
The West Hawaiʻi Sanitary Landfill is the county's only site for construction and demolition debris. The East Hawaiʻi Reload Facility in Hilo takes C&D loads up to 5 cubic yards.
Is the Waimea transfer station open daily?
Yes, the Waimea Recycling & Transfer Station at 66-1597 Kawaihae Road is open every day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
