If the needles are starting to fall off your Christmas tree, it’s probably time to get it out of the house. Here’s how to get it recycled for free.
Christmas trees can be recycled curbside in your green recycle bins on collection days or brought to drop-off locations in communities throughout San Diego County.
The San Diego County Christmas Tree Recycling Program turns recycled Christmas trees into compost, wood chips and mulch products for residents and business owners to buy year-round. City residents can load up to two cubic yards of compost and mulch for free at the Miramar Greenery, according to the county’s website, www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/events/christmas.
Here’s a guide on where to recycle your tree after the holidays. (This is not for artificial trees.)
BONSALL
Place tree in green organics cart (bin on wheels) on regular collection days; must be cut into 4-foot sections. Or recycle trees inside containers at River Village, 5256 S. Mission Road, in the northwest parking lot through Jan. 6. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Call 760-727-1600 or visit edcodisposal.com.
CARLSBAD
Tree pickup is on residents’ normally scheduled trash collection day through Jan. 14 and there are tree drop-off locations at Calaveras Park, 2997 Glasgow Drive; Stagecoach Park, 3420 Camino de los Coches; Fire Station 2, 1275 Carlsbad Village Drive; Poinsettia Park, 6600 Hidden Valley Road; and Republic Services Palomar Transfer Station, 5960 El Camino Real. Remove all decorations, including tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands. Trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half and placed next to green waste cart. If possible, trees should be cut and placed inside green waste container with lid closed. Flocked trees cannot be recycled and must be disposed through regular trash service; trees must fit into the trash can, with lid closed for collection. Visit republicservices.com/municipality/carlsbad-ca or call 760-332-6464.
CHULA VISTA
Place tree inside green recycle bin in 4-foot sections or less on any regular collection day. Remove all ornaments, tinsel, garland and plastic or metal stands. If the tree is too large to cut in sections, schedule a bulky pickup or bring the tree for recycling to the Otay Landfill and Compost Facility, 1700 Maxwell Road. Visit republicservices.com.
CORONADO
Place cut trees in green organics cart on regular collection days. Tree must be cut into 4-foot sections. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Drop off trees through Jan. 14 at Glorietta Bay Park (boat ramp parking lot), 1975 Strand Way, or Coronado Cays (parking lot across from Fire Station on Grand Caribe Causeway), and Public Works Yard at Second Street and A Avenue. Christmas trees do not need to be cut down for recycling at the drop-off. Visit edcodisposal.com.
DEL MAR
Place tree inside green organics carts on normally scheduled collection day. Tree drop-off at the Public Works yard, 2240 Jimmy Durante Blvd., is through Jan. 14. Remove all decorations, including tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands. Flocked trees cannot be recycled and must be disposed of through regular trash service. Visit edcodisposal.com.
EL CAJON
Place tree inside green organics cart on regular collections day. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Tree drop-off sites through Jan. 13 include Wells Park, 1153 E. Madison Ave., and the Public Works Operations Yard, 1050 Vernon Way. Visit edcodisposal.com.
ENCINITAS
Place tree in green organics cart on collection days; must be cut into 4-foot sections. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Call 760-728-6114 or visit edcodisposal.com.
ESCONDIDO
Place tree in green organics cart on collection days; tree must be cut into 4-foot sections. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Drop off trees through Jan. 6 at Kit Carson Park, south entrance, across from the adult softball complex, 3333 Bear Valley Parkway; or Jesmond Dene Park, 2401 N. Broadway. Call 760-745-3203 or visit escondidodisposal.com.
FALLBROOK
Place tree in green organics cart on collection days; must be cut into 4-foot sections. Trees of all sizes may also be recycled at two drop-off sites through Jan. 6: Fallbrook Transfer Station, 550 W. Aviation Road, or River Village, 5256 S. Mission Road, in the northwest parking lot. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Call 760-728-6114 or visit edcodisposal.com.
IMPERIAL BEACH
Place cut trees in green organics cart on collection days. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Or drop off through Jan. 27 at Imperial Beach Public Works, 495 10th St., or Boys & Girls Club, 847 Encina Ave. Visit edcodisposal.com.
LA MESA
Place cut trees in green organics cart on regular collection days. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Or drop off through Jan. 12 at EDCO Station, 8184 Commercial St., from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sundays. Visit edcodisposal.com.
LEMON GROVE
Place cut trees in green organics cart on regular collection day. Drop off through Jan. 12 at Treganza Heritage Park, formerly Civic Center Park, 3200 Main St. Trees do not need to be cut down for recycling at the drop-off. Visit edcodisposal.com.
NATIONAL CITY
Place cut trees in green organics cart. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Or drop off through Jan. 14 at Las Palmas Park, 1800 E. 22nd St., in the pool parking lot, or Kimball Park, East 12th St. Visit edcodisposal.com.
OCEANSIDE
Holiday trees are collected curbside through Jan. 12 (for three weeks after Christmas) on the regular collection day. Remove all decorations, including tree stands and lights. Trees should be cut in half and placed in the organics cart with the lid closed, or can be set curbside next to the organics cart. Artificial and flocked trees are not recyclable, and must be placed in the landfill cart with the lid closed or may be collected curbside next to the landfill cart. If artificial trees have lights that are not removable, they must be recycled with e-waste. Visit wm.com.
POWAY
Put trees in green organics cart on collection day. Remove stand and trimmings; trees should be cut into 4-foot lengths or shorter. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Call 858-748-7769 or visit edcodisposal.com.
RAMONA
Put trees curbside in green organics carts on collection days. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees; must be cut into 4-foot sections. Trees of all sizes can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 27 to Dec. 30 and Jan. 3-6 at Ramona High School, 1401 Hanson Lane, or The Village Shopping Center in San Diego Country Estates. Call 760-789-0516 or visit ramonadisposal.com.
SAN DIEGO
Households serviced by the city of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department can recycle their Christmas tree by placing it in their organic waste green bin so that it fits entirely inside the bin and the lid can be closed, for pickup on collection day. Christmas trees placed next to organic containers will not be serviced. Both green and flocked trees with fake snow are accepted for recycling, but not artificial trees. All ornaments, garland, tree stands, lights and other decorative items must be removed for either the green bin or the drop-off sites.
The city of San Diego’s annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program runs through Jan.16 and includes 16 drop-off locations; check site hours:
Carmel Valley: Carmel Valley Recreation Center, 3777 Townsgate Drive (lower parking lot).
Colina Del Sol: Colina Del Sol Park, 52nd Street and 52nd Place (south parking lot).
Encanto: Cielo Drive at Woodman Street.
Golden Hill: Golden Hill Recreation Center, 2600 Golf Course Drive.
Logan Heights: Memorial Recreation Center, 2902 Marcy Ave.
Mission Bay: SeaWorld Drive at Pacific Highway.
Mountain View: Ocean View Boulevard at 40th Street (north side).
Ocean Beach: Robb Field Recreation Center, 2525 Bacon St.
Otay Mesa/Nestor: Montgomery Waller Community Park (lower parking lot, southeast corner of Palm Avenue and Beyer Boulevard).
Pacific Beach: Kate Sessions Memorial Park, corner of Mount Soledad Road and Loring Street.
Rancho Bernardo: Rancho Bernardo Recreation Center, 18448 W. Bernardo Drive.
Rancho Peñasquitos: Canyonside Recreation Center, 12350 Black Mountain Road.
San Diego State University: Parking lot 17 off Alvarado Road.
Scripps Ranch: Scripps Ranch Recreation Center, 11454 Blue Cypress Drive.
Tierrasanta: Tierrasanta Community Park, 11220 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. (pool parking lot).
University City: Standley Park (parking lot), 3585 Governor Drive.
Visit sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/events/christmas.
SAN MARCOS
Place trees in green organics cart on collection days; must be cut into 4-foot sections. Trees of all sizes may also be recycled through Jan. 5 at the San Marcos Senior Center, 111 Richmar Ave. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Call 760-744-2700 or visit edcodisposal.com.
SANTEE
Place cut trees in yard waste bin on regular curbside collection day. No ornaments, tinsel, nails or tree stands. Flocked trees cannot be recycled, but they will be collected if cut into 4-foot sections and placed in the regular trash cart. Santee customers without curbside collection, such as apartment complexes, can drop off trees the first two weeks after Christmas at Waste Management Recycle Center, 925 O’Connor St., El Cajon. Visit www.wm.com/us/en/location/ca/santee/trash-pickup-santee-ca.
SOLANA BEACH
Put trees in green organics cart on collection day; must be cut into 4-foot sections. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Drop off trees through Jan. 5 at City Hall, 635 Highway 101 South, or La Colonia Park, 715 Valley Ave. Call 858-350-8544 or visit edcodisposal.com.
VALLEY CENTER
Place tree in green organics cart on collection days; must be cut into 4-foot sections. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Drop off trees through Jan. 5 at Valley Center Elementary School’s lower parking lot, 28751 Cole Grade Road. Call 760-744-2700 or visit edcodisposal.com.
VISTA
EDCO customers can put trees in green organics cart on collection days; must be cut into 4-foot sections. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. Or put trees in containers through Jan. 5 at the public lot at Vale Terrace and Williamston, or the lot at South Melrose Drive and Shadowridge Drive. Call 760-727-1600 or visit edcodisposal.com.
UNINCORPORATED SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Place trees in green organics bin on regular collections day. No ornaments, tinsel, nails, tree stands or flocked trees. For specific instructions for various unincorporated communities, visit www.cleansd.org/christmas-tree-recycling-guide-2024-2025-curbside-hauling.
To add a recycling drop-off location, email [email protected].
