Recycling in the Cayman Islands: what goes where
The four bin colours, the free depots, and where everything else goes: glass, oil, tyres, electronics, old cars, batteries and household chemicals. Plus the May bulk pickup, and what's next for the landfill.
The short answer
- Four bins, nine depots on Grand Cayman. Blue for plastic #1 and #2, yellow for paper and cardboard, grey for cans and foil, brown for glass.
- You drop it off yourself, at a depot or the 24-hour drop-off at the George Town Landfill. Once a year, in May, DEH collects bulky waste from the roadside.
- Glass is back since February 2025. It's crushed locally and used to make blocks.
- Oil, scrap metal, white goods, old cars, tyres, electronics, batteries and household chemicals go to the George Town Landfill, each with its own rules (below).
- Free for residents at the depots and the George Town and Sister Islands landfills.
- Not recycled: plastics other than #1 and #2.
- Questions: Department of Environmental Health (DEH), 949-6696, Sister Islands 948-2321, dehcustomerservice@gov.ky.
The four bin colours
| Bin | What goes in |
|---|---|
| Blue | Plastic marked #1 or #2 (the number inside the recycling triangle, usually on the bottom) |
| Yellow | Paper and cardboard |
| Grey | Tin and aluminium cans, aluminium foil and trays |
| Brown | Glass bottles and jars |
Plastics numbered 3 to 7, and plastic with no number, go in your household rubbish. Cayman can only sort and process #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE), and there is no other recycling stream for the rest, DEH told us.
Where the depots are
DEH lists nine public recycling depots on Grand Cayman.
| Depot | Area |
|---|---|
| Foster's at Republix Plaza | West Bay |
| Foster's at the Airport Centre | George Town |
| Kirk Market | George Town |
| Camana Bay Recycling Centre | West Bay |
| BarCam Service Station | Red Bay |
| Foster's at Countryside Shopping Village | Bodden Town |
| Haig Bodden Sport Centre | Bodden Town |
| Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre | North Side |
| Captain George Dixon Park | East End |
West Bay's depot is at Foster's at Republix Plaza. It moved from Ed Bush Sport Centre, which DEH's recycling page still lists; DEH confirmed the move and says it is still updating its website.
There's also a 24-hour drop-off at the entrance to the George Town Landfill for household amounts of recycling, open every day.
Cayman Brac has two relaunched depots, outside Layman Scott Sr. High School in Stake Bay and outside West End Primary School. They take clean, rinsed #1 and #2 plastic bottles and containers and aluminium and metal cans, at any time, with no appointment.
Glass
Glass recycling restarted in February 2025 under a DEH programme with the Flowers Group, which uses the crushed glass to make blocks, Radio Cayman reported. Every depot on Grand Cayman has brown bins labelled "GLASS", DEH told us.
Used motor oil and cooking oil
- Up to 10 gallons: the 24-hour drop-off at the George Town Landfill.
- Over 10 and up to 500 gallons: the landfill recycling area on weekdays (DEH's recycling page says 7am to 3pm).
- Over 500 gallons: call DEH on 949-6696 at least 24 hours ahead.
Oil must be in properly sealed containers, and isn't accepted during a hurricane warning.
The oil is shipped to the United States, around 60,000 gallons a year.
Scrap metal, white goods and old cars
Small amounts of household scrap metal can go to the landfill drop-offs, including the 24-hour drop-off at the George Town Landfill.
Larger loads and old vehicles go to the landfill on weekdays from 7am. DEH's recycling page says scrap metal and derelict vehicles are taken Monday to Friday until 3pm; its waste-disposal page says scrap metal until 4pm. Arrive before 3pm to be safe.
- White goods and other electrical items (fridges, freezers, washing machines, stoves) should be separated from other materials.
- Derelict vehicles are taken at the landfills on all three islands. Owners should follow the Department of Vehicles and Drivers Licensing (DVDL) procedures first, then bring the vehicle's logbook, a completed DVDL TR7 form (termination of vehicle licence) and ID. If you're not the owner, you'll also need a Derelict Vehicle Removal Form (DVRF) stating you have authority to dispose of it; it's on DEH's waste-disposal page. Without the paperwork, the vehicle won't be accepted.
- Before you bring a vehicle, the battery should be removed (see our battery disposal guide for where it goes), along with any containers of flammable materials, personal belongings and garbage. Once it's handed over you can't go back for anything: most vehicles are crushed the same day.
Cost: dropping off scrap, white goods or a derelict vehicle is free for residents. If you'd rather DEH collected a derelict vehicle from your property with its grab truck, that costs CI$75.
What happens to it: DEH's contractors depollute derelict vehicles, then crush and bale them for shipping to recyclers in the United States. For other scrap, DEH's recycling page says scrapped metals are tendered out.
Free bulk waste collection in May
Once a year, in May, DEH collects bulky waste free across Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, ahead of hurricane season. It works district by district, one week each.
- Put items at the roadside before your district's week begins. Piles put out late, or left at community sites, are treated as illegal dumping.
- Sort them into separate piles. If metal and yard waste are mixed, the crews leave them behind.
Batteries
Household batteries go in DEH's blue or pink battery tubes, at every major supermarket and dozens of schools, libraries and offices, or the 24-hour drop-off, free. Car, e-bike and EV batteries have their own rules. Never put any battery in the household bin: lithium batteries start fires in garbage trucks and at the landfill. Full details, type by type, are in our battery disposal guide.
Household hazardous waste
Paint, solvents, pool chemicals, fluorescent tubes, aerosols, ink cartridges and old medicines go to the George Town Landfill. Small household amounts, such as aerosol cans, cleaners and small paint tins, can go straight into the 24-hour drop-off at the entrance, DEH told us. For commercial quantities, hazardous chemicals or bulk solvents, call 949-6696 first. It's all packaged and shipped to a broker in the United States.
On Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, specialised materials and bulk commercial loads go to the landfill by appointment with the DEH Sister Islands office, 948-2321.
Tyres and electronics
- Tyres. Residents can leave them at the 24-hour drop-off at the entrance to the George Town Landfill. The landfills hold a stockpile of more than 10 million pounds of tyres, the Cayman Compass reported in October 2024, a fire risk.
- Electronics. TVs, computers and phones go to the recycling area at the George Town Landfill. Alternatively, private firms such as E-Waste Cayman Islands Ltd take drop-offs and collect from homes.
Landfill opening hours
| Landfill | Hours |
|---|---|
| George Town | Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm; Saturdays and public holidays 7am to 1pm; closed Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday. The 24-hour drop-off is open at all times for household amounts. |
| Cayman Brac | Monday to Friday 7am to 4:30pm; Saturday 8:30am to 3pm (excluding public holidays) |
| Little Cayman | Monday to Saturday 7am to 5pm |
The oil, scrap metal and vehicle areas keep shorter weekday hours (above). Check our public holidays guide for which days run on holiday hours.
What happens next
ReGen was the planned overhaul of Grand Cayman's waste system under an agreement with the Dart-led consortium, meant to turn the George Town landfill into a waste-to-energy and recycling facility. The government terminated it in July 2024 after repeated attempts to reach financial close failed. The agreement expired on Friday, 28 February 2025, and the government agreed to pay invoices totalling up to $17.7 million for work the consortium had completed and the government had verified, Radio Cayman reported (also reported by the Cayman Compass).
In its answer to Parliament on 1 May 2026, the government set out its plan:
- Exit talks: negotiations to leave ReGen began in 2024, and it is committed to bringing them to a close by the end of 2026.
- A new lined landfill on government-owned land next to the current tipping area, known as Site 4, which it says will extend the landfill's life to 2036, provided there are no major hurricanes.
- A new Material Recycling Facility to add sorting and processing capacity by 2029.
- Mandatory commercial recycling, since 49% of the waste entering the landfill comes from commercial activity, and more residential recycling depots.
- A long-term solution to reach the Outline Business Case stage, where the preferred option, costs and land are defined, by fall 2027.
Until then, the George Town Landfill stays in use, which is the honest reason recycling, and keeping batteries and chemicals out of the rubbish, still matters.
Questions people ask
What can I recycle in the Cayman Islands?
At the public depots: plastic bottles and containers marked #1 or #2 (blue bin), paper and cardboard (yellow), tin and aluminium cans, foil and trays (grey) and glass (brown). The George Town Landfill also takes used motor and cooking oil, scrap metal, white goods, derelict vehicles, tyres, electronics, batteries and household hazardous waste. Drop-off is free for residents, the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) told us in October 2026.
Where are the recycling depots in Grand Cayman?
DEH has nine: Foster's at Republix Plaza (West Bay; it moved from Ed Bush Sport Centre), Foster's at the Airport Centre (George Town), Kirk Market (George Town), Camana Bay Recycling Centre (West Bay), BarCam Service Station (Red Bay), Foster's at Countryside Shopping Village (Bodden Town), Haig Bodden Sport Centre (Bodden Town), Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre (North Side) and Captain George Dixon Park (East End). There is also a 24-hour drop-off at the entrance to the George Town Landfill.
Can I recycle on Cayman Brac?
Yes. DEH has relaunched two depots on Cayman Brac, outside Layman Scott Sr. High School in Stake Bay and outside West End Primary School. They take clean, rinsed #1 and #2 plastic bottles and containers and aluminium and metal cans, at any time, without an appointment. Vehicle batteries, specialised materials and bulk commercial loads go to the Brac or Little Cayman landfill by appointment with the DEH Sister Islands office, 948-2321.
Is glass recycled in Cayman?
Yes. DEH and the Flowers Group restarted glass recycling in February 2025, Radio Cayman reported; Flowers uses the crushed glass to make blocks. Every recycling depot on Grand Cayman has brown bins labelled "GLASS", DEH told us.
Is there a bulk waste collection in Cayman?
Yes, once a year in May, free. DEH works through Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands district by district, one week each. Put bulky items at the roadside before your district's week begins, sorted into separate piles: if metal and yard waste are mixed, crews leave them behind. Items put out late, or at community sites, count as illegal dumping.
What are the George Town Landfill opening hours?
Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm, Saturdays and public holidays 7am to 1pm, closed Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday. A 24-hour drop-off at the entrance takes household amounts of recycling at any time.
Can I recycle tyres in Cayman?
Residents can leave old tyres free at the DEH 24-hour drop-off at the entrance to the George Town Landfill, DEH told us in October 2026. The landfills hold a stockpile of more than 10 million pounds of tyres, the Cayman Compass reported in October 2024.
Where can I get rid of an old TV or computer in Cayman?
Take TVs, computers and phones to the recycling area at the George Town Landfill, free, or use a private service such as E-Waste Cayman Islands Ltd, which takes drop-offs and collects from homes.
What happened to the ReGen waste project?
The government terminated ReGen, the planned overhaul of Grand Cayman's waste system under an agreement with the Dart-led consortium, in July 2024. The agreement then expired on 28 February 2025, and the government agreed to pay invoices totalling up to $17.7 million for work the consortium had already done, the Cayman Compass reported. In May 2026 it told Parliament it aims to close exit talks by the end of 2026, build a new lined landfill on government land next to the current tipping area (Site 4) to extend the landfill's life to 2036, open a Material Recycling Facility by 2029, introduce mandatory commercial recycling, and reach an Outline Business Case for a long-term solution by fall 2027.
Methodology and sources
Built from the Department of Environmental Health's own pages, which are undated but were live when we checked on 17 October 2026: Recycling and Waste disposal. Where the two pages disagree on the scrap metal closing time, we show both. The glass programme and brown bins are from Radio Cayman (February 2025), the end of the Dart agreement from Radio Cayman, and the landfill plan from the government's answer to parliamentary question 123 on 1 May 2026. Fees, the May bulk collection, oil limits, glass bins, the West Bay depot, electronics, tyres, hazardous waste, plastics #3 to #7 and the Cayman Brac depots are from the Department of Environmental Health, email to Daily.ky, 26 October 2026; where it differs from DEH's older web pages, we follow the email. Call DEH on 949-6696 before a large drop-off. Spotted something out of date? Email info@daily.ky. Last updated: 26 October 2026.
Waiting on answers: We have asked DEH whether the scrap metal and vehicle area closes at 3pm or 4pm on weekdays and whether white goods follow the same hours, what the recycling processing area's hours are and whether it opens on Saturdays, and whether electronics are sent for recycling. We'll update this page when they reply.