The Abridged version:
- Sacramento region residents have a variety of opportunities in January to recycle their Christmas trees, now that the holiday has passed.
- Curbside collection, drop-off sites and community events in Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo counties offer free means of disposal, without tossing the trees in a landfill.
- Most recycling sites mandate that trees be bare of any tinsel, lights or other ornaments.
Oh, Christmas tree — what to do with your lovely branches, now that the holiday has passed?
With January looming, many Sacramento region residents will begin the process of stripping lights and jolly decor from in and around their abodes.
That includes the Douglas or noble firs dotting living rooms, shedding needles and, post-Christmas, not long for their festive purpose.
Fortunately, counties and cities around the area offer means for Christmas tree recycling.
Sacramento County: Drop it off, feed the ‘claw’
The city of Sacramento’s “leaf season” service runs through the end of January and will extend to discarded Christmas trees.
Sacramentans who live along the city’s public streets may pile up to five trees — free of lights, tinsel and any other ornaments — curbside for the famous claw tractor to pick up. Flocked trees will be accepted.
Those who reside outside of the claw’s service area may visit a variety of drop-off locations across Sacramento County in early January. For addresses and dates of service, check the county’s website.
The SMUD Corporation Yard will host a free mulching event Saturday, Jan. 3, where tree recyclers may take home the mulch made from their arboreal donation.
Placer County: Pick up in the east, drop off in the west
Christmas trees recycled in Placer County will be mulched or composted, according to the county’s website.
Citizens in eastern Placer may leave scrapped trees — bare, unflocked and in 3-foot or smaller pieces — on the curb for regular garbage collection between Jan. 5 and 9.
On the west end of the county, there are almost a dozen different drop-off sites, from Foresthill to Roseville.
Some spots, including the Auburn Transfer Station, will accept unadorned trees through the month of January. Other locations, like Rocklin’s Twin Oaks Park, are limited to the first week of the new year.
El Dorado County: Curbside, drop off, or community recycling event
Waste management services across El Dorado County offer residents the ability to retire their trees either via curbside collection or at specific collection sites. Refer to the county’s website for specific rules and dates.
Those in El Dorado Hills also have the option of swinging by 1021 Harvard Way from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 10 for a Christmas tree drop-off event.
Yolo County: Donate in Woodland or Esparto (and don’t forget to take off the tinsel)
Yolo County Christmas trees can head to either the Yolo County Central Landfill or the Esparto Convenience Center from now through Jan. 15.
Donated trees will be processed at the county’s composting facility, according to a Yolo County press release. Trees dropped off with decorations, though, will be sent for disposal and incur the donor a fee.
Procrastinate the de-decorating process and miss the drop off window? Residents always have the option of placing their tree in pieces in their organics cart.
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.