San Diego is celebrating sustainability with its 50th annual Christmas tree recycling program. Officials say the city has recycled approximately 52,153 tons of trees over the past half-century, or 104.3 million pounds. The trees are then turned into mulch, compost, or wood chips.
The city offers sixteen locations for residents to drop off their Christmas trees to be recycled, free of charge. Both green and flocked trees (fake snow) are accepted. All tree stands, bags, netting, lights, ornaments, tinsel and other tree decorations must be removed. No artificial trees will be accepted.
San Diegans can also cut their Christmas trees into pieces and place them in their organic waste recycling green bins for pickup. “Recycling these trees helps us reduce the amount of waste going into the Miramar Landfill, and it helps the city meet its sustainability goals by converting the trees into high-quality mulch and compost that residents can pick up for free at the Miramar Landfill,” City Council President Pro Tem Joe LaCava said.