Responsibility, recycling your Christmas tree is as easy as one, two – Tree

With another holiday season upon us, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) and the County of San Diego have once again joined together to encourage residents to recycle their Christmas trees in efforts to minimize the amount of waste sent to the landfill. You can put your tree to better use through recycling!

With another holiday season upon us, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) and the County of San Diego have once again joined together to encourage residents to recycle their Christmas trees in efforts to minimize the amount of waste sent to the landfill. You can put your tree to better use through recycling!

When organic materials like Christmas trees, food, and yard clippings are sent to the landfill, they release methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide in warming the atmosphere. Recycling these materials prevents needless organic material from occupying space in our crowded San Diego landfills and reduces greenhouse gas generation. Recycled Christmas trees are made into mulch, which is then used to improve soil health at public parks, local farms, and homes. 

Thanks to the partnership between ILACSD and the County of San Diego recycling your holiday tree doesn’t have to be a headache. Many local waste haulers offer curbside pick-up of Christmas tree and wreaths and several community drop off sites are available. 

Find a pick-up or drop-off location. Most waste haulers pick up Christmas trees on your normal curbside collection day. Visit WasteFreeSD.org or call 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-713-2784) for more information or to find a local company that offers pick-up. In addition to curbside pick-up, Christmas tree drop-off sites are located in the following communities:

Bonsall

Carlsbad

Coronado

Del Mar

El Cajon

Escondido

Imperial Beach

La Mesa

Lemon Grove

National City

Oceanside

Ramona

San Marcos

Solana Beach

Valley Center

Vista

A complete list of tree recycling locations is also available at WasteFreeSD.org or by calling 1-877-R-1-EARTH.

Christmas tree recycling tips. Before recycling your Christmas tree, review these recycling tips to ensure your tree is recycled properly:

• Trees taller than four feet should be cut in half. It is recommended that pieces be under four feet.

• Remove ornaments, garland, tinsel, lights, nails and tree stands (metal or plastic) before recycling.

• Check with your local hauler to see if they accept flocked trees (fake snow).

• Donate artificial trees that are in a reusable condition.

I Love A Clean San Diego operates San Diego County’s official recycling and household waste database and call center which refers thousands of residents to the proper facilities to recycle or dispose of hundreds of different items. From Christmas trees to food donations and appliances to cooking oil, ILACSD’s makes waste diversion quick and convenient. San Diego County residents are encouraged to visit WasteFreeSD.org or call 1-877-R-1-EARTH to learn how to recycle Christmas trees as well as hundreds of other items.

About I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) As San Diego’s most influential advocate for sustainability, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is an environmental catalyst, awakening passion and inspiring action, empowering everyone to improve the health and beauty of our local environment. For over sixty years, we’ve brought the best in all of us together for a lasting, positive impact on our region. We are passion in action. For more information, to volunteer or donate, visit www.cleansd.org or call (619) 291-0103. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.