Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Environment

Recycle Christmas Trees Into Mulch

Christmas trees are piled up at the greenery at the Miramar Landfill in December 2010 in San Diego, California.
Ed Joyce
Christmas trees are piled up at the greenery at the Miramar Landfill in December 2010 in San Diego, California.
TREECYCLE
When you're ready to unload your holiday tree, the city of San Diego will turn it into garden mulch. The grinding happens at the Greenery at the Miramar Landfill.

When you're ready to unload your holiday tree, the city of San Diego will turn it into garden mulch. The grinding happens at the Greenery at the Miramar Landfill.

It's the 37th year the city's Environmental Services Department is accepting trees for recycling. The trees can be taken to the landfill through January 23 or left at one of 16 drop-off locations in the city.

Residents with yard waste collection can put the tree out for curbside pickup.

Advertisement

Recycling program manager Ken Prue said there are a few requirements. "With the trees if you take them to a drop-off site, you need to remove any tree stands, any tinsel or ornaments or any Christmas lights and we don't accept any artificial trees," said Prue.

Prue said recycling trees reduces the amount of material in the landfill and give holiday trees a second life as compost or mulch.

"We make mulch and compost and wood chips and San Diego residents can come out and if they self-load up to two cubic yards, they can get it for free," said Prue. "Otherwise we charge if we load it for you or you purchase the wood chips."

Prue said the trees should be dropped during daylight hours.

He said both green and flocked trees (fake snow) are accepted.