Recycling Gives Christmas Trees New Leaf on Life

If you haven’t done so already, now is a good time to pitch your pine, spring your spruce or fling your fir.

But rather than throwing your Christmas tree into the same trash pile as the Furby packaging, set it aside for recycling.

Ventura County’s trash haulers are still accepting discarded trees and, instead of letting them rot in landfills, will see that they are recycled as mulch or compost.

“During a season of mass consumerism and overpurchasing wasteful, overpackaged products, it’s frustrating to see so many trees consumed,” said Grahame Watts of the Thousand Oaks Public Works Department. “The least people could do is recycle them.”

Californians were expected to buy as many as 4 million trees this year, the most of any state. California Wood Recycling, Ventura County’s primary collector of Christmas trees for recycling, grinds up 80,000 to 90,000 trees each holiday season for landscaping products, according to Bill Camarillo, chief financial officer.

“There’s no reason for them to be in the landfills,” he said.

But regardless of how you choose to toss your Tannenbaum, holiday trees still in homes can pose a fire hazard.

“What people don’t realize is that these trees are harvested early, way before Christmastime--August, September, October,” said Joe Luna, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman. “By this time, the trees are certainly primed for disastrous fires . . . and any open flame or any spark or any short-circuit in the wiring left on these trees will cause [them] to violently ignite.”

Most Ventura County residents can place their discarded trees at their curbs during their weekly trash or yard waste pickup.

Trees should be stripped of all ornaments, tinsel, nails and stands, especially metal stands that will damage tree-grinding equipment.

Haulers will pick up flocked trees but cannot recycle them.

“The flocking itself is a chemical contaminant, so they can’t be composted,” said Vickie Swainson of Oxnard’s solid waste division.

Even with Christmas past, Swainson said Oxnard realizes that some people still aren’t ready to evict their evergreens.

“We extended our pickup into the middle part of January to include people whose traditions include the 12 days of Christmas,” she said.

Tree pickup periods include:

Oxnard

Trees will be collected through Jan. 14. Residents should put the tree out by 6 a.m. their regular collection day. Trees more than 6 feet tall should be topped. There is a $3 pickup charge after Jan. 14.

Simi Valley

Residents should place their trees with their yard waste on their weekly collection day. Trees more than 6 feet tall should be cut. Or they can be taken to Simi Valley Landfill at 2801 Madera Road, which will accept trees at no charge.

Thousand Oaks

Curbside collection is through Friday. For residents on the new automated system, trees should be cut into 4-foot lengths and placed in the yard trimmings cart on yard waste collection day. Or call 449-7283 for a location where trees can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Monday.

Ventura

Through this week only, E. J. Harrison customers can place their trees with their yard waste. There is a $3 charge after this week. Or take the tree to California Wood Recycling, 3450 Ventura Road.

Other drop-off points include:

* Agromin, 11040 Nardo St., Saticoy, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

* Bell Canyon maintenance yard, through Saturday.

* Ojai Valley Organics, Old Baldwin Road, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.