Countywide : Recycle Christmas Trees, Public Urged

The sign at a dump site at Charles W. TeWinkle Memorial Park in Costa Mesa Thursday read: “Wanted: Used Christmas Trees. Deposit Here.”

Inside, maintenance workers were bracing for an anticipated deluge of discarded Christmas trees that the environmentally conscious are expected to cart to the site for recycling.

“Last year people brought so many trees down here that we had to use another parking lot,” maintenance worker Victor Longoria said as a water truck hosed down the vacant lot at TeWinkle Memorial Park in preparation for a surge of traffic. “All next week we’re going to be busy.”

Throughout Orange County, refuse officials were scurrying to make plans for the busiest trash week of the year.

Officials at Western Waste Industries in Irvine said they would typically collect about 50 tons of trash a day for the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach areas that it services. But between now and New Year’s Day, they expect that to increase by about 10 tons per day.

For more information about trash recycling in Orange County, residents may call (714) 571-5640.

Drop-Off Sites for Trees

If tossing out the Christmas tree sounds like a waste of good mulch, many cities are offering free composting services for the next few weeks. Be sure to remove all tinsel and ornaments from the tree before taking it to the designated recycling location. Flocked trees are not recyclable. Also, bring garbage bags or boxes to carry the compost home in.

For those who just want to dispose of their trees, leave it by the curb. Most disposal companies are picking them up and composting them, offering the mulch to city services. Cut any tree taller than 5 feet in half and leave the tree near the other refuse on your regular trash collection day.

Here’s a city-by-city list of where to take Christmas trees for recycling:

Anaheim, Brea, Garden Grove, Placentia, Yorba Linda (Disposal Services Co.): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5 at Craig Regional Park, 3300 State College Blvd., Fullerton.

Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa Disposal): 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5 at Charles W. TeWinkle Memorial Park, 890 Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa.

Buena Park, La Palma (Park Disposal Co.): 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays beginning today and continuing through Jan. 11 at the City Yard, 7101 Thomas St., Buena Park.

Cypress (Briggeman Disposal Co.): 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Jan. 4, 6, 7 and 8, at old Wicker Drive (on Walker Street just north of Orange Avenue), Cypress.

Dana Point, Capistrano Beach, San Juan Capistrano, South Laguna, Laguna Niguel (Solag Disposal Co.): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5 at Laguna Niguel Regional Park, 28241 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel.

Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Sunset Beach (Rainbow Disposal Co.): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5 at Mile Square Park, 16801 Euclid St., Fountain Valley.

Fullerton (M.G. Disposal Co.): 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily (except Sunday) beginning today and continuing through Jan. 11 at Lion’s Field, 1440 Brea Blvd., Fullerton.

Irvine, Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Corona del Mar, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Cowan Heights and the Canyons (Dewey Rubbish Co.): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5 at Mile Square Park, 16801 Euclid St., Fountain Valley, or Laguna Niguel Regional Park, 28241 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel.

La Habra (Western Waste Co.): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5, at Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley.

Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Villa Park (Briggeman Disposal Co.): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5, at Mile Square Park, in Fountain Valley.

Orange (Orange Disposal Co.): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5, at Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley.

Newport Beach (City of Newport Beach): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5, at Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley.

Santa Ana, Tustin (Great Western Reclamation Co.): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 & 5, at Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley.

Seal Beach (Briggeman Disposal Co.): 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday and Jan. 4 at the Public Works Yard (behind the police station at 911 Seal Beach Blvd.) in Seal Beach.

Stanton (Stanton Disposal Co.): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5, Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley.

San Clemente (San Clemente Commercial): County of Orange Christmas Tree Recycling Program, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 4 and 5, at Laguna Niguel Regional Park, Laguna Niguel.

Source: Individual refuse companies, County of Orange