Ring Out Holidays by Recycling Trees

It’s the day after Christmas, and for those who are ready to take down their Christmas trees, the city and county want you to know what you can do with it: recycle.

A formal kickoff to the annual Christmas tree recycling program begins at 10 a.m. today at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park, featuring carolers, storytellers and mulching demonstrations.

“For the 20th year in a row, the county and the city are combining their efforts to recycle the trees after Christmas,” said Deborah Castillo of the county Public Works Department. “Last year we recycled 140,000 trees and this year we are hoping for even more.”

But not every tree will be accepted at the various recycling centers throughout the county.

Flocked trees, trees on stands, or ones draped with tinsel will not be accepted. All trees must be bare so that they can be ground into mulch and used for landfill cover and at parks, schoolyards, roadways and homes, Castillo said. “Flocked trees are not accepted because they contaminate the ground water with the chemicals they have,” she said.

Recycling Christmas trees saves dump space, especially in the North County, where landfill space is at a premium, Castillo said.

The recycling program will begin today and end Jan. 13.

Some cities, such as Bonsall, Encinitas, Escondido, Imperial Beach, Oceanside, Vista and the community of Valley Center will have curbside pickups for their Christmas trees. However, only single-family homes will have this service. Condominium and apartment residents should take their trees to the nearest tree recycling center, authorities said.