City of San Diego Hosts 42nd Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program
Recycling Your Christmas Tree Extends the Life of the Miramar Landfill While Turning Trees into Mulch and Compost
The City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department will host the 42nd Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program through Saturday, January 23, 2016. This year’s program offers 16 drop-off locations, available to City residents only, as well as curbside pickup for customers with curbside yard waste collection.
“Christmas tree recycling is a great way for San Diegans to do their part to help the environment by extending the life of the Miramar Landfill,” said Mario X. Sierra, director of the Environmental Services Department. “Organic materials like yard clippings and Christmas trees make up more than 20 percent of the material buried in the landfill. By recycling trees, residents help reduce the amount of material in the landfill and give holiday trees a new purpose as compost, mulch or wood chips.”
Through January 23, 2016, San Diego residents can recycle their Christmas trees seven days-a-week at the Miramar Landfill Greenery or any of the 16 drop-off locations listed below at no charge. Only “clean trees” are accepted at city recycling locations. Residents must remove all tree stands, lights, ornaments, tinsel, and non-recyclable materials. Please do not illegally dump any other items at the drop-off locations. Trees from commercial tree lots or fundraising projects are not accepted at the drop-off locations. Instead, these trees can be dropped off anytime during regular business hours at the Miramar Greenery for a nominal fee.
In addition to clean trees, flocked trees (fake snow) are also accepted. If you are transporting your Christmas tree in a plastic bag for drop-off, please be sure to remove the tree and take the bag with you. All trees will be recycled into high quality mulch and compost. Thanks in part to the Christmas Tree Recycling Program, City residents can self-load mulch and up to two cubic yards of compost for free at the Miramar Greenery throughout the year.
Curbside yard waste recycling customers can also recycle trees through the curbside collection program by placing trees at the curb with their regular yard waste recycling bin. Customers with automated greenery containers must cut up their clean trees into roughly 3-foot pieces to fit easily inside their greenery container. Customers who are unable to cut their trees for manual collection or who cannot fit the tree into the green automated container, should drop off their tree at any of the City’s convenient drop-off locations. Curbside recycling program customers should remove all non-recyclable materials before placing trees inside the automated bin or at the curb next to yard waste collection containers.
Christmas tree recycling provides residents a free and convenient way to recycle trees after the holidays. Recycling trees produces useful mulch and compost, and helps extend the life of the Miramar Landfill.
The recycling program diverted approximately 1,400 tons of holiday trees from the Landfill in 2014, which translates into more than 150,000 individual Christmas trees.
The Miramar Greenery is located inside the Miramar Landfill, at 5180 Convoy Street, just north of Highway 52. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays and most holidays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Landfill will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Additional information about the residential drop-off site locations is available by calling Environmental Services Department Customer Service at 858-694-7000. For information on mulch and compost produced at the Miramar Greenery, call the Miramar Landfill at 858-492-6100.
For more information on recycling and the Environmental Services Department, call 858-694-7000 or visit our web site at www.recyclingworks.com
The drop-off locations are in the following neighborhoods:
Encanto: Cielo Dr at Woodman St
Carmel Valley: Carmel Valley Rec Center, 3777 Townsgate Dr.
Golden Hill: Golden Hill Rec Center, 2600 Golf Course Dr.
La Jolla: Kate Sessions Memorial Park, Soledad Road and Loring Street
Logan Heights: Memorial Rec Center, 2902 Marcy Ave.
Miramar: Miramar Landfill at Greenery, 5180 Convoy St., north of Highway 52
Mission Bay: SeaWorld Drive at Pacific Highway
Oak Park: Chollas Lake, 6350 College Grove Dr
Ocean Beach: Robb Athletic Field Recreation Center, 2525 Bacon St.
Otay Mesa: Montgomery Waller Community Park
Rancho Bernardo: Rancho Bernardo Rec Center, 18448 W Bernardo Dr.
Rancho Penasquitos: Canyonside Rec Center, 12350 Black Mountain Rd.
SDSU: Parking Lot D off Alvarado Rd
Scripps Ranch: Scripps Ranch Rec Center, 11454 Blue Cypress Dr.
Tierrasanta: Gaspar de Portola Middle School, 11010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
University City: Swanson Pool, 3585 Governor Dr.
