The Hilo Transfer Station, officially the Hilo Recycling & Transfer Station, is at 1471 Hoʻolaulima Road in Hilo. It's run by the County of Hawaiʻi Department of Environmental Management's Solid Waste Division, one of 21 recycling and transfer stations on the Big Island. Two things make Hawaiʻi County different from most places on our map: the county doesn't offer curbside trash pickup (households hire a private hauler or haul their own), and household rubbish at the transfer stations is free. The catch is a set of strict limits on load size, vehicle type and who can use it.
Last checked 2026-09-25 against the County of Hawaiʻi Solid Waste Division's facility and recycling pages on hawaiizerowaste.org. Hours and rules change, so confirm before you go.
See the Hilo Transfer Station and nearby drop-offs on the map
Hilo Transfer Station at a glance
| Operator and owner | County of Hawaiʻi, Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division |
| Address | 1471 Hoʻolaulima Road, Hilo, HI 96720 |
| Rubbish hours | 6 a.m.–6 p.m., open daily |
| Scrap metal and appliances | 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Saturday |
| Drop-off recycling (cardboard, glass) | 8 a.m.–4 p.m. on days the station is open |
| Cost | Free for household self-haul rubbish |
| Questions | Solid Waste Division administrative office, 961-8270 |
Hilo Transfer Station hours
- Rubbish: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day.
- Scrap metal and appliances: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday (not Sunday).
- Drop-off recycling (cardboard and glass): 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the same days the station is open.
All county solid waste facilities close on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The recycling services also close on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. The county may close sites during natural disasters and emergencies, and it posts notices on its website. Most county sites, Hilo included, don't have their own phone line.
Who can use it
The Hilo Transfer Station is for household self-haul customers. County rules keep out:
- Businesses, farms and nonprofit organizations
- Federal, state and county agencies and religious organizations
- Anyone hauling rubbish commercially for someone else
Businesses have to use the East Hawaiʻi Reload Facility (also called the East Hawaiʻi Regional Sort Station) or the West Hawaiʻi Sanitary Landfill, where tipping fees apply.
Load and vehicle limits
These rules come straight from the county's solid waste rules and apply at every transfer station:
- One residential load per day, whether it's rubbish or do-it-yourself construction debris.
- Three cubic yards per load, maximum. The county describes that as a full-size pickup with an 8-foot bed loaded up to the top of the side walls.
- No item longer than 7 feet in any direction.
- Vehicles: sedans, SUVs, pickups and vans only. Dump-bed trucks aren't allowed. Some trailers are allowed at select stations; check the county's rule before bringing one.
- Secure your load by tying or covering it before you arrive.
If you have more than one load in a day or more than 3 cubic yards, take it to the East Hawaiʻi Reload Facility instead (details below). A DIY construction debris load over the limit can also come back to the transfer station the next day.
What the Hilo Transfer Station accepts
- Household rubbish
- Do-it-yourself construction and demolition debris from your own home, within the load limits
- Soft bulky items such as mattresses, stuffed chairs and couches
- One double-bagged deceased household pet per day, counted toward your load
Recycling at Hilo
The drop-off recycling bins at Hilo take:
- Clean, flattened corrugated cardboard and brown paper bags, together in one bin (no single-layer boxboard like cereal boxes)
- Non-HI-5 glass containers, clean (labels can stay on)
Anything dirty or not on the list gets thrown away, and the county warns that contamination can send a whole bin to the landfill.
Scrap metal and appliances such as refrigerators and stoves have their own collection area, and the county requires them to go there rather than into the rubbish chute.
What it won't take
- Hard bulky items, including hide-a-beds with metal frames; take them to the East Hawaiʻi Reload Facility
- Whole tires
- Automobiles and auto fluids
- Construction debris loads over 3 cubic yards
- Commercial, farm or agency waste of any kind
Scavenging, trespassing and loitering are all prohibited. In spring 2025 the county added about 600 feet of new chain-link fencing and locking gates at Hilo, mostly around the cardboard bins, to improve security and traffic flow.
Green waste
Green waste doesn't go down the rubbish chutes. East Hawaiʻi residents can take yard trimmings to the East Hawaiʻi Organics Facility in Hilo, open daily 7 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. (closed noon to 12:30 p.m.). It accepts households and businesses. County limits for green waste: one residential load per day, 5 cubic yards maximum, with logs and branches cut to 3 feet or shorter and no more than 1 foot thick (palm fronds excepted). Check the county's green waste page for current fees.
Nearby alternatives
- East Hawaiʻi Reload Facility (Regional Sort Station), 1651 Hoʻolaulima Road, just down the road: 7 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. daily, closed noon to 12:30 p.m. This is where extra loads, loads over 3 cubic yards, hard bulky items and business waste go. Tipping fees apply.
- Keaʻau Recycling & Transfer Station, 16-921 Keaʻau-Pāhoa Road: rubbish 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
- Pāpaʻikou Transfer Station, 27-215 Old Māmalahoa Highway: rubbish 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday.
Tips for a smoother visit
- Measure your load: a heaping pickup bed is probably over 3 cubic yards.
- Pull out cardboard, glass and metal at home so you can drop them in the right bins.
- Go before 4 p.m. if you have recycling or scrap metal; rubbish is accepted until 6 p.m.
- Cut green waste to 3-foot lengths and take it to the organics facility.
- Tie down or tarp everything before you drive in.
Find more transfer stations near you
Search the nationwide dump map by ZIP code, browse our Hawaiʻi County listings, or open the Hilo Transfer Station listing. Our transfer station near me guide explains how transfer stations work.
Hilo Transfer Station FAQ
What are the Hilo Transfer Station hours?
Rubbish is accepted 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Scrap metal and appliances are taken 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and drop-off recycling runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. All sites close on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Is the Hilo Transfer Station free?
Yes, for household self-haul rubbish within the load limits. Businesses must use the East Hawaiʻi Reload Facility, where fees apply.
How much can I bring to the Hilo Transfer Station?
One load per day, up to 3 cubic yards (about a full 8-foot pickup bed to the side walls), with no item longer than 7 feet.
Can I take a couch or mattress to the Hilo Transfer Station?
Yes. Soft bulky items like mattresses, stuffed chairs and couches are allowed. Hide-a-beds and other hard bulky items must go to the East Hawaiʻi Reload Facility.
Does the Hilo Transfer Station take tires?
No. Whole tires aren't accepted at county transfer stations.
Before you go
Hours and rules change. We last checked this page on 2026-09-25 using the County of Hawaiʻi Solid Waste Division's facilities page, drop-off recycling page and Hilo fencing project notice on hawaiizerowaste.org. Confirm details on the official Solid Waste Division facilities page or call the administrative office at 961-8270 before you haul.