Organics (biodegradable products like paper products, greenwaste, food waste, and even cardboard) are dumped by the tens of thousands of tons into US landfills. Not only are these organic materials valuable resources diverted from industries that may benefit from these materials, such as agriculture and transportation, but they have a high negative impact on the climate when placed into landfills. These materials comprise more than half of our solid waste composition, and when they are buried in landfills, they begin to decompose anaerobically (without oxygen), causing highly toxic levels of methane, impacting our air quality and climate change. These organic materials can be used to create soil where there is none, improve soil where soil quality is poor, and support our farmers by creating affordable, local products, promoting self-sufficiency and high quality products.

Backyard Composting:
Backyard Composters are available (while supplies last) from Recycle Hawai‘i during their year-round schedule of Composting Workshops. For more information check out our Calendar of Events for upcoming Composting Workshops or go to Recycle Hawai‘i's Composting webpage. Or build your own following the easy steps in the Backyard Composting Brochure. Enjoy the benefits of creating quality compost or mulch in your own garden.

Other Composting Resources:

CompostMania.com

How Composting Works

How to Compost Meat & Dairy

Organics Toolbox

GREEN WASTE LOCATION & HOURS

Residents and businesses should bring tree trimmings, grass clippings, brush and yard clippings (complete list) to the County's greenwaste collection areas adjacent to the Kealakehe and Hilo Transfer Stations. Residents only are allowed to place greenwaste in the designated bin at the Kea‘au Transfer Station. See the list of what is and is not accepted below.

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the West Hawai‘i Greenwaste Diversion Program and the future changes that may occur in the Program please read our West Hawaii Greenwaste Diversion Program FAQs flyer.  This program has been contracted by County of Hawai‘i and operated by a private company since Fiscal Year 2001.

GREEN WASTE DROP-OFF

Hilo and Kealakehe locations accept greenwaste from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Large loads should be dropped off by 4:30 p.m. Remember, branches and logs must be less than 5 feet long and/or 18 inches in diameter.

These items are NOT Accepted. Please make an effort to keep them out:

• garbage bags and rubbish
• lumber including sawdust
• plastics
• rocks & dirt
• glass
• metal
• treated or painted pallets (identified by paint or tinted wood color)
• invasive species of any kind (plant or animal)

These items ARE accepted:

• palm fronds
• tree and hedge cuttings
• grass clippings
• untreated and unpainted wood pallets
• logs and branches less than 18 inches in diameter and 5 feet in length
  

MULCH PICK-UP & LOADING

There is free mulch, when available, for the public at the green waste facilities located at Kealakehe and Hilo Transfer Stations. BI EKO has implemented a loading fee for the Hilo Green Waste Facility located at the Hilo Transfer Station. Please review the BI EKO pre-sale ticket purchasing form for ordering information. Residential loading (pick-up truck loading) is still free of charge at both Kealakehe and Hilo locations. For information on availability of mulch or loading at both Hilo and Kona locations, please call 929-8200 or email: BigIslandEKO@yahoo.com.

To abide by road regulations, please remember to bring a pitchfork and tarp to properly cover truckloads of mulch.

Free mulch can be picked up with assisted mechanical loading from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Self-Loading in Hilo is from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and in Kealakehe from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. While supplies last. Assisted mechanical loading availability is subject to machine operability and time permitting. Please be aware that there may be a short wait time for assisted loading.

All locations are open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

INVASIVE SPECIES - Not Allowed

You can help prevent the spread of invasive species (plant or animal) by checking your greenwaste prior to transport and making sure you do not bring any invasive species to our facilities. For more information on Hawai‘i's Most Invasive Horticultural Plants or Hawaiian Invasive Species Council or check the Big Island Invasive Species Committee Brochure for a listing of invasive plants click on the links.

NOTE: Notice (2009-04-01): The State of Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) recently surveyed (2009-03-18) the Hilo Greenwaste Mulching Facility and detected Little Fire Ants (LFA) along the perimeter of the facility. None were detected in the mulch, in the greenwaste piles or at the Kealakehe Greenwaste Mulching Facility.

The County of Hawai‘i and Big Island EKO Systems with the assistance of the Dept of Agriculture implemented a LFA control management plan for the Hilo Greenwaste Facility to prevent the spread of this invasive pest.

2009-08-31 Update: EKO Systems performed another follow-up survey of the site before the grinder returned and they did not detect any LFA on the premises, only non-LFA were detected in the survey. We will continue to implement the periodic baiting and spraying regimen to kill the LFA on our site and form a buffer zone to those encroaching from the adjoining property and conduct follow-up surveys.

You can help prevent the spread of the Little Fire Ant by making sure the greenwaste you bring to our sites is free of the LFA pest. Please read the LFA brochure produced by the UH College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources (CTAHR) and HDOA. This brochure lists control methods for your property and HDOA contact information to report infestations. We have created a flyer that has additional info on our Hilo site control plan. If you observe Little Fire Ants in the mulch at the Hilo Greenwaste Mulching Facility please contact site personnel immediately, do not remove the mulch from the Facility. Please, do not touch them.

We appreciate your Kōkua in helping to stop the spread of this invasive pest.

FOOD DISCARDS

About 40% of consumable food in the US is discarded. In order to recover these valuable resources, food waste can be composted into your compost machine along with your green waste.

Another solution for food discards, particularly if you have little or no outdoor space to set up a backyard composter, is through vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is a compost system that uses a heterogenous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste and bedding materials, like shredded paper or cardboard. Pure vermicast (or worm castings) produced during the course of normal vermiculture operations is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by some species of earthworm. Containing water-soluble nutrients and bacteria, vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.

There are vermicompost bins available on island:

Green Room
(808)987-3731, zaryan@mac.com
Residential worm bins

HawaiiRainbowWorms.com
piper_selden@yahoo.com
For large-scale worm bins or compost tea brewers

For commercial food discard service, businesses and restaurants located in Kona can contact Waiaha Farms at (808)756-7945 or email info@waiahafarms.com for more information.

USED COOKING OIL & FOGs (Fats, oils, greases)

Did you know that your used or waste veggie oil and your FOGs can be reused as biodiesel to run your vehicle? To learn more about how to produce biodiesel for your household use, visit the following resources:

DIY Biodiesel Fuel (includes video)
How To Make Your Own Biodiesel or Find It Nearby
Biodiesel: How It's Made, Environmental Impact, Where to Find a Fueling Station, & More
How To Make Biodiesel

The following are permitted businesses to handle pick up and disposal of used cooking oil and FOGs:

• Hawai‘i Bio-Friendly, Island-wide, 775-7717 (Used Cooking Oil)
• Hilo Pumping Service, 934-7673
• KHL Grease Disposal Services, Kona, 885-5435
• Kona Lua, 329-1318

For very small quantities (< 1 gallon) of used cooking oil from your own kitchen, you may solidify by means of an absorbent material (old/shredded newspaper, rags, kitty litter or oil spill absorbent) and then dispose with your regular trash. It must be completely absorbed (not liquid) before disposal; freezing it doesn't count. Used cooking oil is not considered a Household Hazardous Waste and will not be accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events.