Christmas Tree Recycling

Most Southeast area cities offer Christmas tree recycling. The trees are usually ground up and used instead of soil as cover at the Puente Hills Landfill. This saves space since the trees would otherwise be thrown into the landfill and extra soil added to cover them. Some of the shredded trees are also used as plant mulch.

A drop-off site is available to all Los Angeles County residents from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. todayand Jan. 8 and 9. It is in Whittier at Gunn Avenue Park, 10130 Gunn Ave. Trees are not accepted with ornaments, stands or nails.

Some cities also pick up trees. To participate, residents must remove all decorations and, for pick up, leave their trees at the curb. Here’s a list of dates and other requirements.

Cities offering tree recycling pickup on regular trash days:

Artesia (Through Jan. 10): Remove metal stands. Saw in half if over 8 feet. Flocked trees and wooden stands accepted.

Bellflower: (Through Jan. 7): Remove ornaments and metal stands. Saw in half if over 4 feet. Flocked trees and wooden stands accepted.

Bell Gardens (Indefinite): Remove stands. Flocked trees accepted.

Cerritos (Through Jan. 7): Remove metal stands. Saw in half if over 4 feet. Do not put trees in trash bags. Flocked trees and wooden stands accepted.

Cudahy (Through Jan. 7): Remove metal stands. Saw in half if over 4 feet. Flocked trees and wooden stands accepted.

Downey (Through Jan. 7): Remove ornaments and metal stands. Saw in half if over 4 feet. Flocked trees and wooden stands accepted.

Hawaiian Gardens (Through Jan. 15): Remove metal stands. Flocked trees and wooden stands accepted.

Lakewood (Through Jan. 12): Remove ornaments and metal stands. Saw in half if over 4 feet. Flocked trees and wooden stands accepted.

Paramount (Through mid-January): Remove metal stands. Flocked trees and wooden stands accepted.Pico Rivera (Through Jan. 7): Remove stands and nails. Flocked trees accepted. Also a drop-off site offering mulch to residents.

Whittier (Jan. 4-17): Remove metal stands. Saw in half if over 8 feet. Flocked trees and woodenstands accepted.

Cities offering tree recycling pickup on other days :

Huntington Park (Jan. 8): Remove stand and nails. Wooden stands not accepted. Flocked trees picked up as trash.

Long Beach (Jan. 8): Remove ornaments. Flocked trees and stands accepted.

Maywood (Mon.-Thurs. until mid-Jan.): Remove ornaments. Flocked trees and stands accepted.

Montebello (Jan. 2): Flocked trees and stands accepted. Also a drop-off site offering mulch to residents.

Norwalk (Jan. 6): Remove metal stands. Saw in half if over 8 feet. Flocked trees and woodenstands accepted.

Signal Hill (Jan. 4): Remove metal stands. Leave at the curb by 7 a.m. Flocked trees and woodenstands accepted.

Cities with drop-off sites:

La Habra Heights (Jan. 3-7): Hacienda Park, 1885 N. Hacienda Blvd. Remove stands and nails. Wooden stands not accepted; flocked trees not recycled.

Long Beach (9 a.m.-noon Jan. 8): Recreation Park, 801 Federation Drive. Remove ornaments. Flocked trees and stands accepted. Mulch available for residents.

Lynwood (Until Jan. 9): 321 W. Francisco St., Carson. Remove stands and nails. Flocked trees and wooden stands not recycled.

Montebello: Ashiya Park, 2100 W. Beverly Blvd.; Holifield Park, 1060 Greenwood Ave. Flockedtrees and stands accepted. Mulch available for residents.

Pico Rivera: Whittier Fertilizer, 9441 Kruse Road. Remove stands and nails. Flocked trees accepted. Mulch available free to residents every other month beginning Feb. 19.Santa Fe Springs: Santa Fe Springs High School. Remove metal stands. Saw in half if over 8 feet. Flocked trees and wooden stands accepted.*

Source: City officials