Honolulu Trash Pickup Schedule, Recycling & Bulky Items 2026

⏰ Cart Placement Rules

• Place carts curbside by 6:00 a.m. on collection day — not before 6:00 p.m. the evening before.
• Place the cart directly at the curb with the handle away from the street (opening facing the curb for the truck arm).
• Allow at least 5 feet of clearance from fences, lampposts, fire hydrants, mailboxes, parked cars, and other obstructions.
• Do not block access to or park vehicles in front of the cart.
• Do not overload the cart — the lid must be closed to avoid spillage.
• Return carts to your property after collection. Do not leave carts at the curb on non-collection days.
• Only refuse inside the cart will be picked up. Bags placed beside the cart are not collected.

🏠 Manual Collection — Narrow Streets

Homes on narrow streets where automated trucks cannot access are served by manual collection. Manual collection residents provide their own trash cans (max 35 gallons, max 75 lbs). Non-durable containers such as plastic bags are also allowed if they can securely contain refuse. Manual collection is currently refuse-only; plans are underway to expand semi-automated recycling to these approximately 20,000 remaining homes. Do not tie or secure lids on trash cans for manual collection — this creates safety hazards for workers.

🎄 Christmas Tree Collection

Real Christmas trees can be collected curbside in your green cart (stripped of all ornaments, tinsel, lights, and stands), or dropped off whole at any Convenience Center (except Wahiawā), Kapa‘a Transfer Station, or Hawaiian Earth Recycling in Wahiawā. Artificial trees must be scheduled for a bulky item appointment or dropped off at a convenience center — not placed in green carts. Bulky appointments cannot be made for natural Christmas trees.

📅 How to Schedule a Bulky Item Appointment

1. Go to honolulu.gov/env/bulky or opala.org and enter your address to find your next available appointment. Or call (808) 768-3200, option “0” (Mon–Fri 8am–4pm). Waikīkī residents may make weekly appointments; all others are limited to once per month.
2. Choose a date and list the specific items you want collected (description and quantity required). Only items listed in the appointment will be collected.
3. Put items curbside no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the evening before your appointment date. Items must be curbside by 6:00 a.m. on your appointment day.
4. Single-family homes: up to 5 bulky items per appointment, plus a separate appointment for up to 2 metal appliances. Separate appointments are required for bulky items and appliances. Items max 6 feet long and 60 pounds each.
5. Secure any glass to prevent shattering and injury. Empty appliances before set-out. If the item is smaller (like a microwave), it may fit in your gray cart instead — use the cart if possible.

📨 What Convenience Centers Accept

• Household rubbish and bulky items (furniture, appliances)
• Green waste (yard trimmings, brush, leaves)
• Mixed recyclables
• Electronics (e-waste) — free
• Batteries (rechargeable and standard)
• Compressed gas cylinders (at Kapa‘a and Kawailoa only)
• Styrofoam

💰 How HI-5 Works

• Qualifying containers include: beer, soda, juice, water, and other beverages in cans, glass bottles, and plastic bottles #1 & #2.
• Look for the “HI-5” label on the container.
• Take HI-5 containers to a redemption center — you receive 5 cents per container.
• Non-deposit containers (e.g., milk jugs, juice cartons) still go in the blue recycling cart.
• Find your nearest redemption center and drop-off location at honolulu.gov/env/recycling-centers. RRR Recycling Services in Kapolei (Campbell Industrial Park, 91-165 Kalaeloa Blvd) is the main processing center.

🏠 New to Honolulu or Just Moved In?

Your home should already have a set of three carts (gray, green, blue). If carts are missing, contact ENV at (808) 768-3200 or email collection@honolulu.gov. Enter your address at hnl.info/opala to get your weekly cart schedule (which week is green, which is blue). Remember: green and blue alternate weekly. Manual collection residents in narrow-street areas provide their own cans; your property should be on manual if automated trucks cannot reach you.

🏋 H-POWER: Honolulu’s Waste-to-Energy Facility

All of O‘ahu’s non-recycled trash goes to H-POWER (Honolulu’s waste-to-energy facility), which incinerates waste to generate up to 70 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 60,000 homes and provide about 10% of O‘ahu’s electricity. The more you recycle and compost, the less goes to H-POWER and ultimately to Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill, extending landfill life on this space-constrained island. This is why proper sorting truly matters in Honolulu.

🚫 5 Common Mistakes Honolulu Residents Make

• Placing bulky items at the curb without a scheduled appointment — this is illegal and may result in civil fines
• Leaving the blue or green recycling/green waste cart curbside on Christmas or New Year’s Day — only the gray refuse cart stays out; recycling is not made up on holidays
• Putting junk mail, magazines, or phone books in the blue cart — only newspaper and office paper are accepted; junk mail goes in the gray cart
• Placing bags or items beside (not inside) the gray cart — only refuse inside the cart is collected by the automated truck
• Putting food scraps in the green cart before confirming your address qualifies for G.R.O.W. — check honolulu.gov/env/grow first