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Updated on 2 December 2025
 12:34 PM

Waste Disposal

DEH provides services to allow responsible management and recycling of solid waste materials generated by the public and commercial businesses in the Cayman Islands. These services are generally located at the landfills located on each island.

Landfill Operations

Grand Cayman  Landfill

The George Town Landfill is located in Industrial Park, adjacent to the Esterly Tibbetts Highway, with access via Seymour Drive, off North Sound Road.

Working Hours: 7:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday

Saturday & Public Holidays: 7:00 am to 1:00 pm

Closed Sundays, Christmas Day & Good Friday

A 24- hour drop-off area is located at the entrance of the George Town Landfill. The area is accessible to the public daily for the disposal of small quantities of waste.

Cayman Brac Landfill

The Cayman Brac Landfill is located on the south side of the island, opposite the public beach. It follows similar waste management procedures as the George Town Landfill.

Working Hours: 7:00am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday

8:30am to 3:00pm Saturday

(excluding public holidays)

Little Cayman Landfill

The landfill is located on the south side of the island, next to the Power & Light Plant.

Opening Hours

Working Hours: 7:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday

Drop Off Facility

Grand Cayman Drop Off Facility 

Located at the front gate of the Georgetown Landfill, the drop-off facility allows residents and small businesses to drop off household amounts of garbage and recycling.

  • This includes:
  • General garbage
  • Used Oil 
  • Household hazardous materials
  • Gas cylinders
  • Batteries
  • Scrap metal
  • Vegetation

The facility does not allow large commercial disposal of materials and access is limited to small vehicles only.

The drop-off is open 24 hours a day every day.

Sister Island Drop Off Services

Similar drop-off services are provided at the landfills on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman by appointment. If residents have these materials to dispose of, they should contact the local office for advice.

Derelict Vehicles

Reception at Landfills

DEH receives derelict vehicles at their landfills across all islands. This disposal should be carried out in accordance with the Traffic Act (2021 Revision).

Persons wishing to dispose of their vehicle will need to arrange transport for their vehicle to the landfill and present on arrival the following documentation to show proof of ownership:

  • Vehicle logbook
  • Completed DVDL form TR7 (termination of vehicle licence)
  • Identification confirmation (e.g. drivers licence)

If the person is not the owner, they shall also be asked to complete a Derelict Vehicle Removal Form (“DVRF”) stating they have authority to dispose of the vehicle.

If the required information is not provided the derelict vehicle shall not be accepted.

Click on the download button for the Derelict vehicles form.

Preparation for Reception

  1. Derelict vehicles such as cars and small trucks or trailers shall be provided separately from other wastes and shall not have other waste materials stored inside them 
  2. No containers with materials classified as flammable shall be stored in derelict vehicles and the batteries should be removed
  3. Other items such as personal belongings and garbage should be removed from the vehicle prior to delivery. If the vehicle contains a significant amount of garbage, it may be refused entry. These materials should be disposed of separately from derelict vehicles at the landfill drop-off.

Recycling Services

Once received at the landfill, derelict vehicles are handled by DEH’s appointed contractors who operate a facility in the landfill to depollute the vehicles and then crush and bale them ready for shipping to recyclers in the US.

Please note that once the vehicle is handed over to DEH we do not allow persons to return to retrieve items from vehicles. In most cases, vehicles are crushed the same day as received.

Hazardous Waste Management

There are many types of hazardous waste that are categorised as their potential to cause harm to persons or the environment. Waste is hazardous if it is listed in exhibits any of the four hazardous waste characteristics of ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity, or toxicity:

Although classified as hazardous, the following waste types are dealt with separately and their handling is described in other sections:

a)    Batteries of all types from households and small and large commercial businesses 
b)    Used motor and cooking oil from households and small businesses
c)    Biomedical
 

Hazardous Waste Types

Hazardous wastes normally submitted for disposal include: 

  • Suspected or confirmed asbestos
  • Dry-cleaning chemicals
  • Other Solvents
  • Lab Chemicals
  • Photo–processing chemicals
  • Non-recyclable batteries
  • Thermostats and other items containing mercury
  • Fluorescent bulbs
  • Cleaning agents
  • Paints including marine and anti-fouling paints
  • Wood-preservatives 
  • Chemicals used in manufacturing
  • Pesticides and Herbicides
  • Pool Chemicals
  • Sludges
  • Expired Medication
  • Unknown Mixtures

Acceptance and Limitations

Due to the lack of on-island processing and disposal facilities, hazardous waste must be stockpiled and shipped to licensed facilities off-island. Given the limited storage area and capacity of DEH at the Georgetown landfill; 

  • Hazardous waste will only be accepted in small ad hoc quantities from households or small commercial businesses or Government organizations.
     
  • DEH will not accept hazardous waste from large commercial businesses and will not accept hazardous waste from Government organizations in large quantities where they are generated as part of day-to-day operations or processes.
     
  • The acceptance of radioactive wastes is strictly forbidden. The handling, management and responsibility for responsible disposal remain with the licensed generator of these materials.

In all cases, persons or organisations are advised to contact DEH and seek advice about any and all hazardous waste they are seeking to dispose of.

Vegetation

Vegetation is accepted at the landfills. For small household amounts, these are accepted at the landfill drop-off.
If persons are seeking to dispose of large bulk amounts of vegetation materials, for example from land clearances, they should contact DEH to ensure these materials can be accepted.

Vegetation waste should be free from garbage, metals, concrete and other deleterious materials. These items can damage the handling and shredding equipment. DEH shreds vegetation received and uses these materials in landfill operations to cover waste and maintain accesses.

Scrap Metal

Small amounts of residential scrap metal can be disposed of at the landfill drop-offs. 

For larger amounts typically from commercial businesses or construction companies. The Landfills will accept this scrap metal, subject to the conditions below.
 

Scrap metals are only accepted Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The following guidance is provided to assist operations and reduce the risk of fire. If this guidance is followed it is likely that the materials will be accepted at the landfill, however, DEH reserve the right to refuse entry. If there is any doubt, please be in contact to discuss it with our team.
 
  • Light scrap metal should be sorted prior to arrival on site and shall be free of wood, plastic and other wastes and contamination as far as is reasonably practicable
  • For any large oversize metallic objects, vehicles, equipment or structures (for example heavy construction equipment, shipping containers, storage tanks, steel beams, etc.) these should be cut down to dimensions of no greater than 5 feet by 3 feet.
  • For the following, (with the exception of derelict vehicles such as cars or small trucks); all items of motorised equipment large and small which contain a combustion engine with or without fuel tank including but not limited to:
    • Large and small heavy equipment such as excavators, bobcats, cranes, dump trucks, etc.
    • Small motorised tools, such as chainsaws, weed whackers, lawnmowers, cement mixers, etc.
    • All boats and all personal watercraft Generators, fuel tanks and fuel bunds, etc.
We require these to be drained of all fuels, lubricating fluids and any other flammable fluids and gases that may be present. For fuel tanks, these should be purged/opened to the atmosphere such that any flammable vapors are allowed to dissipate over a 24 hr period.
  • White goods and other electrical items should be separated from other materials
  • Batteries should be separated and disposed of at the landfill drop-off for all types. For small batteries, these are accepted at all supermarkets
  • Gas bottles of any type shall be made safe by removal of the headworks or safe release of the gas by other means and then separated from other materials
Any segregated mixed waste materials can be disposed of in the landfill as normal. If materials are tipped on-site and it is found that the load does not meet the criteria, we require you to remove these items and dispose of them correctly at the site.

Used Oil

DEH is responsible for the reception and management of waste automotive and cooking oils (“oil products”) as delivered by Small Commercial Businesses or members of the public in the Cayman Islands. DEH processes and ships approximately 60,000 gallons to US recyclers each year from its oil recycling facility.

Acceptance and Limitations

Due to the capacity of on-island processing and disposal facilities, oil products must be stockpiled and shipped to licensed facilities off-island. Given the limited storage area and capacity of DEH at the Georgetown landfill;
 
a)    Oil products only be accepted in small ad hoc quantities from households or small commercial businesses or Government organizations. 
b)    DEH will not accept oil products from large commercial businesses and will not accept oil products from Government organizations in large quantities where they are generated as part of the day-to-day operations or processes.

Reception of Oils

Small Commercial businesses or members of the public are to provide the oil products in a suitable secured container packaged to minimize the risk of spillage or loss in the event of damage.
 
For small amounts, of say up to 2 gallons, these can be left at the landfill drop off. For larger amounts, these will need to be delivered to the oil recycling facility located in the landfill.

If in doubt, persons should contact DEH for advice.
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