Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi at forefront of getting wood-chipped mulch from island to island easier

The threat of invasive species such as little fire ants and coconut rhinoceros beetles as well as diseases such as rapid ʻōhiʻa death has had a significant affect on the transport of soil, compost or shredded mulch products between islands, leading to stricter regulations, logistical challenges and biosecurity concerns for the industry.

Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi — a Native Hawaiian-mixed, woman-owned company located in Kaʻū on the Big Island — is now at the forefront of a burgeoning sustainable industry that will make getting wood-chipped mulch from one island to another much easier despite those challenges.

The Nāʻālehu-based company was recently cleared by state agricultural inspectors to transport a shipment of wood-chipped Eucalyptus grandis mulch, commonly known as flooded gum or rose gum, from the Big Island to 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,” said Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi Chief Executive Officer and bagging production and sales representative Christine Kaehuaea in an announcement about the momentous milestone. “However, more importantly, we had our first bulk customer hanging in the balance that we needed to take care of immediately.”

The company — started in 2016 to develop and promote diverse natural and sustainable products through partnerships with local food producers, ranchers, fishermen, agricultural producers and private industry — decided to work with a Pepeʻekeo chipping partner to start chipping 2-year-old stockpiled logs of Eucalyptus grandis grown on Hawaiʻi Island.

It was an effort to clean up the island and create a new industry from Hawaiʻi, for Hawaiʻi, and done under guidance from the Hilo, Honolulu and Kahului, Maui, offices of Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture.

After one failed fumigation attempt, Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi was awarded a green tag from state inspectors, indicating no life was found in the bulk load of wood-chipped Eucalyptus grandis following a second successful fumigation attempt.

Successful fumigation was the result of using the non-residual gas Profume, administered by Mid-Pacific Pest of Maui, the only active company licensed in the state to use the gas.

Being able to legally dial up the dose to levels that would ensure no coconut rhinoceros beetle contamination also aided with the fumigation’s success.

“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 Kaehuaea. “But thanks to some angels around us, we were immediately connected to Alex at Mid-Pacific Pest.”

The first clean bulk order of wood-chipped Eucalyptus grandis wood-chipped mulch by Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi for new customer SiteOne Landscaping Supply of Kona was two 20-foot containers used in that trial-and-error testing phase.

The containers, once given the green light, were transported by KonaTrans of Hilo and shipped by Young Brothers from the Port of Hilo to their final destination on Maui.

Tri Isle Trucking of Maui picked up the loads for delivery to the site, and with a state agricultural inspector on Maui ready to test the wood-chipped mulch, it was once again found to be clean.

This was a huge victory in the fight for clean agricultural products to be shipped interisland and opened up an unprecedented path for Eucalyptus grandis, which can be seen growing straight up to the sky around Hawaiʻi Island.

Once a tree is cut just above ground level, it can resprout and within 7 years grow to be 150 feet tall again, making this the beginning of a sustainable industry in the islands.

This first bulk order of wood-chipped Eucalyptus grandis mulch shipped to Maui was finalized the third week of June by official approvals and now resides at luxury beach resort Montage Kapalua Bay.

Bags of the product will be available at local retailers by July.

Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi says Eucalyptus grandis is one of three eucalyptus species found on Hawaiʻi Island. There are more than 800 eucalyptus species around the globe.

With less oil than its California cousin, which is used for essential oils, wood of Eucalyptus grandis trees has mainly been used for burning, powering machinery, paper pulp, fencing and fence posts.

It has no marketplace presence as a landscape product in the United States, and Florida is the only state where it is milled for fencing or flooring.

June 2024 wood chips market industry forecast data show the global wood chips market was valued at $11.73 billion in 2023. It is anticipated to reach $23.06 billion by 2032, growing at a rate of 7.8% from 2024.