County Will Load Mulch at Kealakehe Station — For a Fee

Beginning this Thursday, residents of West Hawaii can get help loading mulch at the Kealakehe Transfer Station, albeit at a price.

Mechanical loading assistance is available only on Thursdays and Saturdays, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While the mulch is free if manually loaded, mechanical assistance costs a minimum of $5 for loads up to small pickup trucks.

Loading costs for bigger vehicles include $8 for full-size pickups, $12 for larger utility trucks, $15 for small-end dump trailers and $18 for “super-end” dump trailers of 20 cubic yards or larger.

Payment must be made using debit or credit cards. No cash or checks will be accepted.

The public can self-load the free mulch seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free mechanical loading of mulch is available at the county’s landfills in Puuanahulu and Hilo.

The county Department of Environmental Management creates the mulch by grinding green waste dropped off by residents and businesses at the landfills and selected transfer stations.

More information is available at the department’s website.