Maui’s fight against CRB continues, emphasis placed on green waste management

Ongoing Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) monitoring efforts on Maui continue to highlight the importance of active green waste management and composting as part of broader strategies to reduce potential breeding habitat for the invasive pest.

Hawaiʻi Organics Compost (HOC) is continuing to work closely with the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Maui County agencies as part of ongoing monitoring, inspection, and mitigation efforts at its Waikapū green waste composting facility. Recent detections of CRB during routine monitoring activities have prompted additional coordination between facility operators and state officials, who continue to evaluate and implement response measures aimed at limiting the pest’s spread across Maui.

According to state officials, HOC remains compliant with current operating requirements and continues to maintain optimal conditions designed to support the prompt, proper, and safe processing of green waste. Compost temperatures are monitored throughout the facility, including by on-site personnel and state inspectors, to ensure adherence to established management practices.

The detections underscore a challenge already facing Maui and other areas of Hawaiʻi where CRB have been identified. Experts continue to emphasize the importance of early detection, responsible green waste handling, and active treatment methods to reduce opportunities for beetle reproduction.

“Unlike unmanaged green waste stockpiles, actively managed composting systems generate sustained elevated temperatures that are unfavorable for CRB survival and reproduction,” according to the company. “As a result, hot composting has been recognized as one of several important tools available to help reduce potential breeding habitats and support broader CRB management efforts.”

According to crbhawaii.org, “CRB begin to die around 115°F but 131°F core temp is a good target to ensure that even the colder spots (edges and areas touching soil) are at least 115 F.” 

At the Waikapū facility, compost windrows undergoing active processing routinely maintain temperatures between 131°F and 160°F. Finished compost piles continue to maintain internal temperatures above 120°F during curing and storage, according to HOC. “These sustained elevated temperatures are a key component of the facility’s management practices and help distinguish actively composted material from unmanaged green waste accumulations,” the company reports.

As an additional precaution, compost distributed from the facility is being sourced from the interior of finished compost piles, where temperatures remain consistently elevated. The facility plans to continue operating under ongoing monitoring and in coordination with state agencies as response efforts continue.

Since opening in September 2025, Hawaiʻi Organics Compost has processed more than 12,000 tons of Maui green waste through actively managed composting systems, helping divert landscape material from disposal while producing locally made compost and mulch products for agricultural, landscaping, restoration, and erosion-control applications.

State and county agencies continue to encourage residents, landscapers, contractors, and property owners to remain vigilant, report suspected Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle activity, and utilize approved green waste processing facilities whenever possible.

“Prompt processing of green waste remains an important component of reducing potential breeding habitats and supporting island-wide mitigation efforts,” according to Hawaiʻi Organics Compost.