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A public resource guide
Free scrap metal removal in Honolulu, HI
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Honolulu, verified October 2026.
Checked against Honolulu ENV
Home › By item › Scrap metal › Honolulu
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Honolulu, verified October 2026.
Checked against Honolulu ENV
5 + 2
bulky items per appointment, plus 2 metal appliances on a separate appliance appointment
6 p.m.
earliest set-out the night before your appointment
Free
electronics and household hazardous waste at city convenience centers and events
Every route for scrap metal in Honolulu, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Honolulu guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Honolulu, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Honolulu bulky item appointment collection: scrap metal
FreeScrap metal goes on the metal appliance appointment or free to a convenience center.
Who qualifies: All residential properties on Oahu with city refuse service, including each unit in multi-unit buildings (a property manager can schedule for the whole building instead).
How to schedule: Book at opala.org (or 808-768-3200, option 0). Single-family homes and individual units get up to 5 bulky items per appointment, and a separate appliance appointment for up to 2 metal appliances. Buildings scheduling as a whole get 20 items and 8 appliances. Free.
Limits: 5 bulky items per appointment, 2 metal appliances per separate appliance appointment. Crews collect only the items listed on the appointment.
Set-out: Curbside no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before your appointment, in place by the morning of the appointment. Bulky items at the curb outside an appointment date are illegal and fined.
Honolulu convenience centers and transfer stations: scrap metal
FreeScrap metal accepted.
Where: Islandwide; list at opala.org
How it works: Residents can drop household rubbish, bulky items, appliances, scrap metal, and electronics free at city convenience centers and transfer stations, open daily. Check the list for what each site takes.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Honolulu: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering scrap metal, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Honolulu: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Honolulu, Hawaii is unique in the U.S.: it’s the only Hawaii county providing free residential refuse collection, funded through property taxes rather than fees. The city operates a three-cart system (gray for weekly trash, blue for bi-weekly recyclables, green for bi-weekly green waste) and serves about 200,000 residential pickups per week across O‘ahu. Bulky item pickup has been appointment-only since July 1, 2020, scheduled online at honolulu.gov/opala or by calling (808) 768-3200. A new G.R.O.W. food waste program begins April 1, 2026 for selected areas. This guide covers every disposal option for City and County of Honolulu residents.
The Honolulu rule for scrap metal: Scrap metal goes on the metal appliance appointment or free to a convenience center.
Program basics: 5 bulky items per appointment, 2 metal appliances per separate appliance appointment. Crews collect only the items listed on the appointment. Curbside no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before your appointment, in place by the morning of the appointment. Bulky items at the curb outside an appointment date are illegal and fined.
What the city will not take: Household hazardous waste, tires (banned from disposal; return them to a dealer), construction debris, and auto parts. Electronics go free to city convenience centers.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City and County of Honolulu ENV: Bulky Item Appointment Collection Service, Honolulu ENV: Bulky item appointment FAQ. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Honolulu. Electronics (e-waste): Hawaii state law requires electronics manufacturers to develop and finance take-back programs. Visit honolulu.gov/env e-waste page for current options. Best Buy also accepts most consumer electronics free at customer service. Electronics are not accepted at curbside or in bulky appointments.
Why scrap metal are different from ordinary bulk. Most household scrap is mixed. An appliance is a steel shell around a copper motor and aluminum fins; a bike is a steel or aluminum frame with rubber and plastic. Yards accept mixed items at the steel rate, so sorting pays only if you have enough non-ferrous metal to make it worth the time. A magnet and ten minutes usually tells you.
Three mistakes that get scrap metal left at the curb:
Paid options barely exist for metal, except when the metal is attached to things that are not metal.
Mixed loads to a transfer station
$20 to $60If metal is mixed into a larger cleanout, transfer stations charge by weight for the whole load. Pull the metal out first and give it to a scrapper; it reduces the fee and keeps metal out of the landfill.
Most transfer stations have a free metal pile. Ask before you tip.
LoadUp paid scrap metal pickup
$80+For Honolulu households needing same-week or in-home pickup, items the city won’t accept, or service before the next available bulky appointment, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Honolulu area for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your scrap metal. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book scrap metal pickup in Honolulu with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Honolulu proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Honolulu junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national scrap metal disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Honolulu: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Honolulu pick up scrap metal for free?
Yes, with an appliance appointment, or free at a convenience center.
How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Honolulu?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Honolulu starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For Honolulu households needing same-week or in-home pickup, items the city won’t accept, or service before the next available bulky appointment, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Honolulu area for upfront-priced pickup.
Will someone pick up scrap metal for free?
Yes. Independent scrappers in every metro collect appliances, grills, frames, and other metal from the curb free, usually the same day you post it, because they sell it by weight. Many city bulk programs also collect metal.
How much does a scrap yard pay?
Steel pays a few cents per pound; a washer or water heater might bring a few dollars. Aluminum pays several times more, and copper and brass pay the most, often a few dollars per pound. Prices change weekly with commodity markets.
How do I tell what kind of metal I have?
Use a magnet. If it sticks, the metal is ferrous (steel or iron) and pays the base rate. If it does not, it is aluminum, copper, brass, or stainless and worth sorting out. Copper is reddish, brass is yellow, aluminum is light and silver, stainless is heavy and silver.
Can I scrap a refrigerator or air conditioner?
Yes, but the refrigerant must be recovered first by a certified technician or by the yard if it has recovery equipment. Do not cut the lines. Many yards accept sealed units and recover the gas themselves; call first.
Is this Honolulu page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Honolulu guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.