How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree in San Diego

As the excitement of Christmas Eve turns into the celebratory mess of Christmas Day, the relatives eventually return home and we are left with a storm of ripped up wrapping paper. But before you toss your tree at the local landfill and ditch all your post-holiday trash on the curb, remember that ‘tis the season to recycle.

I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is your source for all the latest local holiday recycling tips, starting with your Christmas tree. Every December, ILACSD’s Disposal Solution Center provides accurate information for the proper recycling of holiday trees.

Instead of overcrowding local landfills, collected holiday trees can be ground up into high quality mulch or composted and used to enrich soils for next years’ trees and poinsettias. Remember to remove all tree stands, nails and tree decorations before leaving your tree for recycling. Also, please note that all trees taller than four feet should be cut in half. And your tree is not the only item you can recycle; wrapping paper, cardboard boxes, packaging peanuts are also accepted for recycling.

Waste haulers offer special holiday tree recycling programs to pick up trees with yard waste on regular collection days. In addition to curbside pick-up, tree drop-off sites are located in Carlsbad, Coronado, El Cajon, Escondido, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, lemon Grove, National City, Ramona, San Diego, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach and Vista. For more info, visit wastefreesd.org or call 1.877.R.1.EARTH.