Holiday Trash Tips

Remember -- No refuse and recycling collection on Christmas Day Wednesday, December 25, 2019 and on New Years Day Wednesday, January 1, 2020.
Drop-off Facilities will be closed ONLY on Christmas Day Wednesday, December 25, 2019 and on New Years Day Wednesday, January 1, 2020. All other days will operate on their regular schedule.

The City provides scheduled collection service on all holidays except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

For communities with 3-cart curbside recycling program:

When your Refuse day falls on these holidays, the missed collection will be made up on the following 1-2 days. Please leave the gray cart at the curb until it is serviced.
Recycling days that fall on these observed holidays will not be made up. Please hold mixed recyclables and green waste for the next scheduled pickup.

For communities with manual collection with twice per week refuse only pick-up:

When your pickup day falls on these holidays, please hold your items for the next scheduled collection day.

Bulky collection for all residents:

Bulky collection will continue on the days following the holiday. Since bulky pickup is conducted over a 3-4 day period in each sector, the collection crews will make up the holiday on the other days.

During the holiday season, even our garbage becomes more colorful and fragrant and bountiful with wrapping paper, boxes and Christmas Trees. Here are a few tips for taking care of your garbage through the holidays and purchasing gift items that will help reduce waste:

Recycle your Christmas trees.

Remove all ornaments and tinsel (and no flocked trees). Place them at the curb (in your green cart) for pickup on your regular green waste collection day; drop them off at any of the City’s Refuse and Recycling Convenience Centers seven days a week or at the composting facility.

Do not set out Christmas trees for bulky item collection.
For households in the cart pickup system, please note that the tree has to fit inside the cart. Cut the tree into lengths up to three feet and trim branches to ensure that it will fall freely from the cart during collection. If cutting the tree is a bother, you can drop it off whole at the nearest City Convenience Center.
For households on a manual collection route, cut the tree into lengths up to three feet and place at curb on your refuse day. If cutting the tree is a bother, you can drop it off whole at the nearest City Convenience Center.
Condos and commercial buildings can deliver large loads of trees directly to composting facility – there will be no tip fee charge over the holidays for Christmas trees, courtesy of the City. Contact the City's Recycling Office at 768-3200 to arrange a delivery.
Click here for collection schedules .
Click here for list of City Convenience Centers.

Please be aware that the State has discontinued the special treecycling sites at parks and other locations around the island. Do not bring your trees to these sites. Use curbside collection or look for the list of City drop-off sites.

Recycle the beverage containers from all the parties, and the big corrugated cardboard boxes from those super toys and gifts.

Use your blue cart to recycle. For households without curbside recycling, HI-5 Plus Drop-Off Recycling Centers accept deposit beverage containers and many of the same materials that go into the blue cart.

Beware -- Fireworks and garbage are a dangerous mix.

If you have fireworks activity in your neighborhood, please be sure that your refuse and recycling carts are closed and placed out of the way. You could be held responsible for damage to your refuse or recycling carts if you don’t take proper precautions to protect them.

Keep your neighborhood glittering with holiday decorations, not trash.

Put your refuse, mixed recyclables, green waste and bulky items out at the curb only on collection days (or the evening before). It's not nice to leave your garbage of the containers out at the curb all the time, and it's a violation of City ordinance.

Green gifts and wrapping ideas are everywhere these days. Be watchful as you shop and Google green gifts online.


The Kapolei Hale Christmas Tree lights up the night through the month of December. You can reuse non-recyclable material to decorate your trees. Decorations in the tree on the right include K-cups, chip bags and bottle caps.