Turn Discarded Christmas Trees Into Garden Mulch

The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, a local special district that runs four landfills, is organizing a countywide program to encourage cities to collect used Christmas trees and recycle them into compost and mulch.

Many area cities will be picking up the trees at curbside or providing drop-off points where people can take their trees for recycling. Metal stands, ornaments and most of the tinsel must be removed. Flocked trees and trees with wooden stands will be accepted.

Residents also can drop off trees at no charge at any of the four Sanitation Districts’ landfills: Puente Hills, 2800 W. Workman Mill Road, near Whittier; Spadra, 4125 W. Valley Blvd., Walnut; Scholl Canyon, 7721 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, or Calabasas, 5300 Lost Hills Road, Agoura.

The Sanitation Districts’ program will be in operation from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Jan. 18. For more information, contact Recycling Specialist Jennifer Raue, (310) 699-7411.

Other area programs for recycling Christmas trees:

Artesia--Consolidated Disposal Service will be hauling away discarded trees left at the curb on regular pickup days from Dec. 30 to Jan. 10. The trees will be the last pickup of the day.

Bell--Discarded trees will be picked up Dec. 30, Jan. 3 and Jan. 6.

Cerritos--Trees will be collected from the curb on regular pickup days from Dec. 30 to Jan. 10.

Commerce--Crews from the Parks and Recreation Department will be picking up trees stripped of decorations and hardware at curbside on Dec. 27, Jan. 3 and Jan. 10. The trees will be turned into mulch, which will be used throughout the city.

Cudahy--Discarded trees can be left at the curb on regular pickup days from Dec. 30 to Jan. 10.

Downey--Residents can leave trees at the curb on regular pickup days from Dec. 30 to Jan. 10.

Hawaiian Gardens--Residents can leave trees at the curb or bring them to the empty lot at the intersection of Belshire and Carson streets on Dec. 26 and 27.

Huntington Park--Discarded trees will be collected by Western Waste Disposal Co. at the curb on regular pickup days, Jan. 6 through 10.

Lakewood--Curbside pickup will be available on regular trash collection days from Dec. 30 to Jan. 10.

La Mirada--Residents can leave trees at the curb on regular pickup days from Dec. 30 to Jan. 18.

Long Beach--Residents with city trash collection can place their trees out with the regular trash during the week of Dec. 30 to Jan. 4. Trees also can be dropped off at Recreation Park, 801 Federation Drive, between 9 a.m. and noon on Jan. 4.

Lynwood--Residents are being asked to bring their trees to Dymally Park, at Platt and Spruce streets, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 4.

Maywood--The Street Department will be picking up trees at curbside during the next three weeks, putting them through a chipper and spreading the mulch along the city’s thoroughfares.

Montebello--Residents are being offered free mulch in exchange for their trees on Dec. 28 and 29, and on Jan. 4 and 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Grant Rea Park, 600 N. Rea Drive, in the southern parking lot. Persons who want to receive the mulch must bring their own containers. For more information call the Parks and Recreation Department at (213) 887-4540.

Norwalk--Residents can discard trees at the curb on regular trash pickup days from Dec. 30 to Jan. 10.

Paramount--Residents can leave trees with other trash that Metropolitan Waste Disposal picks up at curbside during the week of Dec. 30 through Jan. 3. Because of the holidays, residents’ normal trash pickup days may be changed.

Pico Rivera--Residents may place their trees at curbside on regularly scheduled trash days from Dec. 26 to Jan. 8, or may take trees directly to Whittier Fertilizer Co., 9525 Kruse Road, which is open from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Signal Hill--Residents are asked to place their cleaned trees at their usual trash pickup areas on Jan. 4. Collections by Signal Hill Disposal will begin at 7 a.m.

Santa Fe Springs--Residents can receive free mulch by taking trees to the parking lot at Santa Fe High School, 10400 Orr & Day Road, from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 29 and Jan. 5. Residents should bring their own containers for mulch.

Whittier--Discarded trees will be picked up at the curb from Dec. 30 to Jan. 18 on residents’ regular pickup days.