LIHU‘E — Homeowners with unwanted hazardous material must wait until sometime in early 2022 if they want their waste disposed of by the county, which will not hold a pickup this year.
County personnel said the interruption of the annual household-hazardous-waste collection is due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“There are no Kaua‘i-based contractors that provide these hazardous-waste hauling services, and under COVID, there were many concerns with travel, lodging, transportation, shipping, etc.,” county Department of Public Works Acting County Engineer Troy Tanigawa said.
O‘ahu-based Enviro Services &Training Center, LLC has performed the pickups in the recent past, but its contract lapsed near the onset of the pandemic.
According to Tanigawa, the DPW Solid Waste Division has prepared an invitation to bid for services in fiscal years 2022 through 2024, but it has yet to go out.
He estimates residential-hazardous-waste-pickup events will resume in January or February, “with another set of events occurring every six months after that.”
The HHW designation encompasses a wide variety of products and materials, including acids, cleaners, batteries, compact fluorescent lights, automotive fluids and more. Where appropriate, the county suggests residents consider self-disposal as a last resort.
“We recommend that folks first see if their neighbors, friends or family might want or need these items before they try and dispose of them,” Tanigawa said. “If no one can use the material, we ask that residents hold onto it until the next event.”
If they choose not to wait, some hazardous materials can be disposed of by residents themselves. A list of qualifying items and instructions are available kauai.gov/HHW.
The webpage also provides a list of certified-hazardous-waste haulers, for those willing to pay out-of-pocket for services.
Tanigawa requested anyone with questions or concerns to call the Solid Waste Division at 808-241-4841.
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Scott Yunker, general assignment reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com.