Hawaiʻi Island mulch company gets state clearance for interisland distribution of eucalyptus mulch

Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi has received state approval to begin interisland distribution of eucalyptus wood chip mulch.

The decision follows months of testing and coordination with state inspectors after invasive species like coconut rhinoceros beetles and little fire ants were previously found in mulch and soil products shipped from the Mainland. Stargazer Industries, working with its chipping partner in Pepeʻekeo, is producing mulch from stockpiled Grandis eucalyptus trees harvested on the island.

After an initial fumigation attempt by a separate company failed, the project was approved after a second attempt using Profume, a non-residual fumigant applied by the only active licensed company in the state, Mid-Pacific Pest on Maui. According to state agricultural inspectors, no invasive life was detected in the treated containers.

“This was a huge victory for all in the fight for clean agricultural products to ship interisland,” the company stated in its announcement.

The first approved shipment included two 20-foot containers delivered to SiteOne Landscape Supply in Kona and later shipped by Young Brothers to Maui, where they were transported by Tri Isle Trucking and inspected again upon arrival. The mulch is now being used at Montage Kapalua Bay, with bagged retail products expected to be available by July 2025.

“We all had to pivot quickly and learn from our first failed fumigation as delivery deadlines expired, bills piled up and we were days from shipping,” said Christine Kaʻehuaea, CEO and sales representative. “But, thanks to some angels around us, we were immediately connected to Alex at Mid-Pacific Pest on Maui.”

“We needed this win to carve out an approved path to begin a non-tourism-based industry that could be sustainable, respect the land and bolster each island company that becomes part of our journey,” she said. “However, more importantly, we had our first bulk customer hanging in the balance that we needed to take care of immediately. I am so very thankful to everyone involved.”

This was also an unprecedented path for the Grandis eucalyptus seen growing straight up to the sky around Hawaiʻi Island: Once a tree is cut just above the surface of the ground, it can resprout and in seven years again be 150-feet tall, thus beginning a “sustainable” industry, the company said.

Though it has seen limited use in the US as a landscape product, this tree species has been used globally for burning toward powering machinery, paper pulp and fencing. Florida is the only state with Grandis Eucalyptus, and it is milled for fencing or flooring.

A 2024 report from Market Data Forecast estimated the global wood chip market at $12.64 billion in 2024, with projected growth to more than $23 billion by 2032.

For more information, visit stargazerindustrieshawaii.com or email StargazerIndustriesHawaii@gmail.com.