Well, you know people are anxious to get through the holidays when they are already posting helpful information about how to recycle your Christmas tree on social media. Even though we are industrious bees all year long, we want you to know it’s also OK to leave your tree up and enjoy it for a few more days, too.
Traditionally, Christians celebrated the Christmas season starting with Advent, a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. Trees were brought into the house and decorated on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Christmas celebrations continued through the Twelve Days of Christmas, concluding with the feast of the Epiphany marking when the wise men visited the infant Jesus in his manger. Whether that was your family tradition or you just want to slow things down and savor more holiday time with your beautiful tree, we suggest you follow that tradition and keep it up until January 7th.
Then, when you’re ready, the City of LA Department of Sanitation offers curbside collection for Christmas trees, to make it convenient to properly and safely recycle your tree. Here’s what LA Sanitation suggests:
If your Christmas tree is too big to cut and place inside the green waste bin, simply place the tree next to your green waste bin on collection day.
How to Recycle your Christmas tree and put in the green bin:
- REMOVEÂ all ornaments, decorations, tinsels and stand from the tree.
- CUTÂ the tree into pieces, if needed, to fit into green bin.
- PLACEÂ the tree pieces inside the green bin and put out for regular pick-up on collection day.
*Flock or artificial trees can’t be recycled. Place them in the black container.
Collected Christmas trees will be recycled into compost and mulch that is available to residents for free.
