COUNTYWIDE : Christmas Tree Recycling Continues

Throughout Orange County, thousands of Christmas trees have been collected and turned into mulch and chips, which will be used as ground cover and weed deterrent on trails and parks.

In Costa Mesa, more than 3,000 trees have been collected and more are expected throughout the week in the city’s first attempt at reclaiming Christmas trees. The Costa Mesa Sanitary District is running trees through a chipping machine and plans to use the chips for ground cover at Fairview Park.

“We feel like we’re having wonderful support in our first year,” said Florine Reichle, assistant manager of the Sanitary District.

City garbage crews have been collecting trees at curbside along with the regular trash pickup everyday this week, Reichle said. The original plan called for just one tree pickup this week, but the response has been so overwhelming that officials opted for the daily pickup, she said.

People who don’t live in Costa Mesa but want their trees to be recycled may bring them to the lot at 2300 Placentia Ave. or the TeWinkle Park Yard at 890 Arlington Drive.

The county has also for the first time this year started to recycle Christmas trees and is turning the pines into mulch for equestrian and hiking trails. The lots at the Laguna Niguel Regional Park, 28241 La Paz Road in Laguna Niguel, and the Irvine Regional Park, 21501 Chapman Ave. in Orange, have also collected more than 3,000 trees, according to Park Ranger Tom Maloney.

People who bring trees to the lots may take a bag of mulch from the pile that was begun last weekend.

In Los Alamitos and Villa Park, curbside tree collection for recycling continues today and Jan. 10. San Juan Capistrano will accept Christmas trees dropped off at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto, from 8 a.m. Friday to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Fire department officials warned against residents’ burning their own trees, especially in fireplaces, because the dried trees burn extremely quickly and produce an intense heat. They recommended that residents either cut their trees for curbside disposal or have them recycled.