City Sponsors Christmas Tree Recycling Program

Hoping to take advantage of the seasonal spirit of giving, the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation is urging residents to extend that generosity to the environment and recycle their Christmas trees.

As an incentive, the city is offering tree recyclers a dozen collection sites throughout Los Angeles.

The sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. this coming weekend and Jan. 9-10. Officials say all ornaments, tinsel and stands must be removed from the trees before being deposited.

The Los Angeles Zoo, a co-sponsor of this year’s Christmas tree recycling campaign, will serve as the major drop-off site. It is located at Griffith Park, at the junction of the Golden State and Ventura freeways.

Residents who have green trash containers used for yard trimmings disposal are advised to cut their trees in half and place them in the containers, officials said. A tree may extend up to one foot above the container. Sanitation workers will pick up these trees.

“Every year we recycle more trees than the previous year,” said Judith Wilson, director of the city’s sanitation bureau, which hopes to top the 100,000 trees recycled last year.

Tree drop-off sites in the Valley include:

* Branford Park, 13310 Branford St., Pacoima.

* Sunland Park, 8651 Foothill Blvd.

* Balboa Sports Center, 17015 Burbank Blvd., Encino.

* Chatsworth Park South, 22360 Devonshire St.

The sanitation bureau is reminding residents that it is a violation of a city code to leave Christmas trees at the curb, outside of the green container, or in the street because of the fire hazard created.

For more information on tree recycling, call (800) 587-3356 (5-TREE-56).