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# Circle of life: Free Christmas tree recycling
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/circle-of-life-free-christmas-tree-recycling/
- Published: 2003-12-13T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:19:41.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Environment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

Residents in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County can get their Christmas trees carried away for free this year.

Following in last year’s footsteps, the service will again allow residents to recycle their trees into compost, mulch or ground cover by simply placing their trees at curbside for recycling between Dec. 26 and Jan. 17.

Last year, more than 375,000 trees were recycled in the county. “This program gets more successful every year,” said Robert C. Barker, senior civil engineer at the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works.

In order to take advantage of regular trash pickup days between Dec. 26 and Jan. 17, residents should place their trees at the curb along with their other recyclables. Residents are asked to remove all items from the tree, including decorations, its stand, water container and bulk of tinsel. If the last pick-up day is missed, residents can still recycle their trees by chopping them into small pieces and then placing the pieces in their green waste container.

For more information about Christmas tree recycling or the county’s other waste reduction programs, call the county’s toll-free hotline at 1-888-CLEANLA or visit 888CleanLA.com.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 13, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/121303.pdf?ref=smdp.com)