A Little History

Green Waste: Since 1989, the Sanitation Districts (Districts) have provided green waste recovery at the Puente Hills, Scholl Canyon, and Calabasas Landfills. Districts' landfills shred all separated green wastes for use as alternative daily landfill cover material (ADC) with a portion used as mulch or compost. The Districts offer a reduced fee at the landfills for clean loads of green waste. Approximately 78 cities and the County of Los Angeles have separate residential green waste collection programs.

Christmas Trees: As part of green waste recovery, the Districts have offered a special Christmas tree recycling event since 1990. The Districts will accept uncontaminated loads of Christmas trees, at no charge, if a city sponsors the collection of trees. For loads to be considered uncontaminated, they must contain only green waste. All plastic containers, metal stands and bars, ornaments, and the bulk of tinsel should be removed from Christmas trees. Flocked trees or trees coated with a fire retardant will be accepted.

The Districts accept, at no charge, loads of Christmas trees from cities that use existing residential green waste collection programs to collect Christmas trees. Individual residents should contact their city's recycling coordinator for information on recycling their Christmas trees. This year's program will last from Saturday, December 26, 2009, through Saturday, January 16, 2010. Cities are encouraged to divert all Christmas trees from disposal this year through this green waste recovery program or through a local community-based project.

In the Districts' program last year, 68 out of 88 cities and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County participated in the Districts' Christmas Tree Recycling Program. Many other cities conducted their own program. About 351,520 trees were collected in the Districts' program. The majority of the trees were recycled at the Districts' Puente Hills Landfill located in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, near the City of Whittier.

Please contact Nick Morell at (562) 908-4288, extension 2444 or at nmorell@lacsd.org about the Districts' Christmas Tree Recycling Program.

The County of Los Angeles (County) has contracted with waste haulers serving the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County to provide Christmas tree recycling services to residences, multi-residential complexes, and commercial, institutional, and industrial entities. More information on the County's Christmas Tree Recycling program is available by calling '1-888-CleanLA (1-888-253-2652)' and on the web at http://www.888cleanla.com/.

The City of Los Angeles (City) asks that residents recycle their trees by cutting them up and placing them in their green waste container. If they are unable to use their green waste container or cannot cut up their trees to place in the container, they may also recycle their trees by bringing them to one of the drop-off sites operated by the City. Click here for drop-off locations of the City's program as well as more detailed information.