Christmas Tree Recylcing

Hello! The holidays are done, now begins the clean up! One of my favorite holiday traditions is buying and decorating a large live Christmas tree. but, after carefully repacking all my precious ornaments every year, I am always left with a big, messy, outdoor plant that is now inconveniently indoors. Thankfully, the city and county of San Diego have implemented programs to facilitate the recycling of Christmas trees which is very important as the trees can be shredded into something useful instead of taking up space in landfills.

After December 26, 2009, there will be curbside pickup of Christmas trees for those with curbside yard waste collection, according to the city's Environmental Services Department's website:

• Curbside collection
  
  
  • Manual container customers using your own bins should place trees on the curb for collection on your regular greenery recycling pickup day. Trees over four feet in length should be cut in half.
  • Automated container customers using the large, green 96-gallon bin provided by the city should cut their trees to fit into the automated container for pickup on collection day.
  
  

If you don't have these containers:
Trees can be dropped off during daylight hours through Jan. 23, 2010 at the following 16 locations:

Carmel Valley Recreation Center, 3777 Townsgate Drive
Encanto, Cielo Drive at Woodman Street
Golden Hill Recreation Center, 2600 Golf Course Drive
La Jolla, Kate Sessions Memorial Park, Soledad Road and Loring Street
Logan Heights, Memorial Recreation Center, 2902 Marcy Ave.
Miramar Landfill and Greenery, Convoy Street
Mission Bay, SeaWorld Drive at Pacific Highway
Oak Park, Chollas Lake, 6350 College Grove Drive
Ocean Beach, Robb Athletic Field Recreation Center, 2525 Bacon St.
Otay Mesa/Nestor, Montgomery Waller Community Park, 3020 Coronado Ave
Rancho Bernardo Recreation Center, 18448 W. Bernardo Drive
Rancho Penasquitos, Canyonside Recreation Center, 12350 Black Mountain Road
San Diego State University, Parking Lot D, Alvarado Road
Scripps Ranch Recreation Center, 11454 Blue Cypress Drive
Tierrasanta, De Portola Middle School, 11010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
University City, Swanson Pool, 3585 Governor Drive.

or

The Miramar Greenery accepts trees throughout the year

The North County Times posted the following for north county recycling information:

I Love A Clean San Diego has created a hotline number for San Diego County residents who are interested in finding out where they can recycle their trees if they do not have curbside greenery collection with a waste disposal company. City residents can call (800) 237-BLUE (2583) and those living in unincorporated areas can call (877) 713-2784.

In North County, drop-off sites have been designated for communities with no curbside greenery collection.
Carlsbad
Carlsbad-Coast Waste Management Yard, 5960 El Camino Real; Fire Station No. 1 1275 Carlsbad Village Drive; 3420 Camino del los Coches; 6600 Hidden Valley Road; Calaveras Park, 2997 Glasgow Drive.
Encinitas
Encinitas-Moonlight Beach upper parking lot, Third and C streets, through Jan. 9.
Escondido
Escondido-Kit Carson Park, 3333 Bear Valley Parkway, south entrance, first parking lot on right across from adult softball complex; Jesmond Dene Park, 2401 N. Broadway, parking lot next to ballfields, through Jan. 16.
Fallbrook
Fallbrook Refuse, 550 W. Aviation Road
Rancho Bernardo
Rancho Bernardo Recreation Center, 18448 W. Bernardo Drive, through Jan. 4.
San Marcos
City Hall, 1 Civic Center Drive, west parking lot through Jan. 9.
Valley Center
Valley Center Community Hall, 28246 Lilac Road, through Jan. 9.
Vista
Lot between City Hall and Vista branch library on Eucalyptus Avenue, through Jan 9.

Have a happy and safe New Year and recycle everything!
Debra Moore, Controller
Steven Smith Landscape, Inc.