THOUSAND OAKS : Christmas Tree Mulching Plan OKd
Tree decorating may not have started in some households, but Thousand Oaks officials are already making their post-holiday recycling plans.
About 14,000 trees will be ground up and turned into mulch under a program the Thousand Oaks City Council approved unanimously Tuesday night. The mulch will then be used in the city’s sludge composting program.
Thousand Oaks’ program, which is part of a countywide effort, is expected to cost the city about $7,000, said Grahame Watts, the city’s recycling coordinator. But it will save space at the county landfill in Simi Valley, he said.
Officials estimate that about 70 tons of trees will be donated, Watts said. It is the first time that Thousand Oaks has joined in the recycling effort.
“We’re hoping that people will make the effort to drop off the trees,” Watts said. Trees left at the curb for garbage haulers will not be recycled.
The city has established 10 drop-off points where trees can be taken between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily from Dec. 26 to Jan. 6. All ornaments, tinsel, nails and stands must be removed from the trees before they can be recycled.
Officials have also launched an aggressive campaign to encourage recycling by posting notices at Christmas tree lots and advertising the program through cable television and trash bills.
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