County: Follow Best Practices When Handling Solid Waste During COVID-19 Pandemic

The Maui County Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division is reminding the public to observe best practices when disposing of solid waste during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These best practices include: double-bagging waste that was used to care for sick people at home; and maintaining a physical distance of at least 6 feet from solid waste personnel.

Essential trash collection service remains uninterrupted, and County of Maui landfills and the Olowalu transfer station continue to maintain normal operating hours.

The department asks the public to observe the following practices for the community’s safety and well-being:

• All waste should be bagged before placing it into your trash cart or cans.
• Securely tie-off trash bags, preferably double-bagging it.
• Try to get as much air out of your trash bags as possible prior to tying them off.
• This maximizes the amount of waste that can fit in trash cans.
• Double bag waste that comes from caring for or cleaning up after sick people at home, and properly tie off/secure each bag to prevent leaking.
• Don’t overfill the County trash cart. Lids must be fully closed. Overfilled carts spill, exposing workers and the community to possible injury and illness.
• Overfilled carts may not be picked up.
• Don’t put out any trash beside your County trash cart – only trash in the cart will be picked up.
• Trash is to be put out on the street or sidewalk no sooner than 6 pm the evening before pickup and no later than 5 am on the scheduled day of pickup.
• Trash cans or carts are to be removed from the street or sidewalk areas on all non-pickup days.

The department thanks the public for following these practices to help keep its employees and the community safe.

For landfill information go to https://www.mauicounty.gov/765/Landfill-Information.

For trash collection services information go to https://www.mauicounty.gov/769/County-Residential-Collection-Services.