County sets commercial mulch-loading fees: Kealakehe $5, East Hawaiʻi $20

Hawaiʻi County Department of Environmental Management and its vendor Hawaiian Earth Recycling will begin charging commercial customers for mulch loading at the Kealakehe Recycling and Transfer Station in Kailua-Kona and the East Hawaiʻi Organics Facility in Hilo starting March 1, 2026. Commercial customers at Kealakehe will pay $5 per cubic yard; commercial customers at the East Hawaiʻi facility will pay $20 per cubic yard.

Payment for the loading service is limited to Mastercard or Visa credit and debit cards. “The loading fee is only payable with Mastercard or Visa credit and debit cards. No cash or checks are accepted, officials say.” Manual self-loading by commercial customers remains allowed and is not subject to the loading fee. “Manual self-loading for commercial customers is allowed and not subject to the loading fee,” county notices state.

Residential users will see no change to current policy: loading remains free with a limit of 3 cubic yards per day. County material reiterates the residential allowance: “There is no change for residential users, who are limited to 3 cubic yards per day.” County postings also describe the small-scoop policy as “No charge for small scoop 3 cubic yards or less.”

Kealakehe’s mulch pick-up area operates on a first-come, first-served basis and is offered as a county convenience with both self-loading and assisted mechanical loading. County text fragments describe the Kealakehe arrangement: “As a convenience, the County has established mulch pick up at the Kealakehe Recycling & Transfer Station. Customers wanting mulch have the option of self-loading (no fees) or using the assisted mechanical loading service. Limit of 3 cubic yards of mulch per customer per day. The loading service is offered daily from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. only.” The county also warns that assisted mechanical loading is “available on an equipment & time permitting basis. There may be a wait period,” and that “No private mechanized loading equipment [is] allowed at this site.”

Some county fragments show slight discrepancies in posted hours and site text: an internal fragment lists “7:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.” and another line reads “Located in adjacent quarry,” placement unclear. Because hours and site descriptions vary across postings, the Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division can confirm details at 808-961-8270.

County materials emphasize on-site safeguards and load preparation: self-loaders should “bring your pitchfork or shovel and tarp to cover your load,” and drivers are reminded to “Cover Your Mulch Loads Before You Leave Our Facility.” The new commercial loading fees at Kealakehe and EHOF take effect March 1, 2026, with commercial purchases otherwise described as having “no limit, while supplies last.”