Christmas Tree Recycling Guide 2024/2025 – CURBSIDE PICKUP

Community

Collection Days

Instructions

Waste Hauler

Carlsbad

• Republic services collects trees curbside on the same day as your regular compost collection day.
• Please note: the trees are collected by a separate truck, not the regular compost truck that services your green composting cart.

Prepare your tree:

1. Remove stands, ornaments, lights and tinsel
2. Trees more than 6 feet in length must be cut in half
3. Trees with flocking or fire retardants are not accepted

Del Mar

• Remove all decorations, including tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands.
• Trees taller than 4 feet must be cut in half and placed next to your green waste cart.
• When possible, residents are asked to cut down the tree so that it fits inside the green waste cart with the lid closed for collection.
• Flocked and artificial trees cannot be recycled and must be disposed of through regular trash service. These trees must fit into the trash cart with the lid closed for collection.

Escondido

• No tinsel or ornaments
• No nails
• No tree stands
• Cut tree to fit inside green organics cart on your regular trash collection date.
• Flocked trees are not accepted

Encinitas

•  Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and
  the tree stand
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed
• No flocked trees in green organics cart, flocked and artificial trees should go into landfill bin

Oceanside

• All decorations should be removed, including tree stands and lights
• Trees should be cut in half and placed in the green organics cart with lid closed, or can be set curbside next to the green waste cart.
• For trees placed curbside, a separate vehicle from the green waste cart collection truck will be picking up the trees on curbside services collection day.
• Artificial and flocked trees are not recyclable, and must be placed in landfill cart with lid closed or may be collected curbside next to the landfill cart. If artificial trees have lights that are not removable, they must be recycled with  E-waste.

Solana Beach

• Cut tree in pieces 4-ft or smaller and put in green organics cart

Poway

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and the tree stand
• Trees over four feet should be cut in half
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed
• No flocked trees are accepted
• Artificial trees are not recyclable and must be placed in trash

Ramona

• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches.
• Place tree inside green organics cart for collection on your service day.
• No flocked trees.

San Marcos

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and the tree stand
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed
• Artificial and flocked trees are not recyclable and must be placed in trash

Vista

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and the tree stand
• Trees over four feet should be cut in half
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed
• Artificial and flocked trees are not recyclable and must be placed in trash

Unincorporated San Diego County 

Including: 4S Ranch, Bonsall, Borrego Springs, Fallbrook, Julian, Mount Laguna, Pala, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, Ranchita, Santa Ysabel, Valley Center, and Warner Springs.

If you live in an unincorporated unincorporated regions of the county your curbside guidance varies depending on your contracted hauler. Please contact one of the following haulers for additional guidance.

• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches.
• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and the tree stand.
• Place tree inside green organics cart for collection on your service day. No flocked trees.

Unincorporated San Diego County 

Including: 4S Ranch, Bonsall, Borrego Springs, Fallbrook, Julian, Mount Laguna, Pala, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, Ranchita, Santa Ysabel, Valley Center, and Warner Springs.

If you live in an unincorporated unincorporated regions of the county your curbside guidance varies depending on your contracted hauler. Please contact one of the following haulers for additional guidance.

• Remove all ornaments, tinsel, garland, and plastic or metal stands.
• Cut/section the tree in pieces 4ft or shorter. Place inside the correct container (flocked or plastic trees = trash, natural tree = green organics container*).
• Drivers will not service trees left outside the container. All tree portions must be INSIDE the correct container. If you do not have a green container on-site, please place the natural tree in a separate location near the trash container, following the preparation guidelines mentioned previously.

EDCO (760) 844-2700

or Fallbrook Refuse

Unincorporated San Diego County 

Including: 4S Ranch, Bonsall, Borrego Springs, Fallbrook, Julian, Mount Laguna, Pala, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, Ranchita, Santa Ysabel, Valley Center, and Warner Springs.

If you live in an unincorporated unincorporated regions of the county your curbside guidance varies depending on your contracted hauler. Please contact one of the following haulers for additional guidance.

If you currently have green waste services, Waste Management will collect and recycle Christmas trees for the first two weeks following Christmas from December 26 to January 9 on your scheduled collection day.

If you do not have green waste services, please contact Customer Service at (619) 596-5100 to schedule the pick-up of your Christmas tree for a nominal fee.

• Trees taller than six feet must be cut in half.
• Please remove all decoration including tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands and place in WM organics cart.
• Flocked trees cannot be recycled, so please cut them to fit into your trash cart and they will be collected by your trash collector.

Community

Collection Dates

Instructions

Waste Hauler

Coronado

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and
  the tree stand
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed

City of San Diego

• Both green and flocked trees (fake snow) are accepted.
• Trees over 4-ft in length should be cut in half.
• For Greenery, curbside, and drop-off sites, all tree stands, bags, netting, lights, ornaments, tinsel, and other tree decorations must be removed.
• No artificial trees.
• Please do not illegally dump any other items at the drop-off locations.

Community

Collection Days

Instructions

Waste Hauler

El Cajon

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel, and the tree stand.
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches, then place in green organics cart with the lid closed.
• No flocked trees

La Mesa

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and the tree stand
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches
• Place trimmed tree inside your green waste cart with the lid closed
• No flocked trees in green organics cart

Lemon Grove

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and the tree stand
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed

Santee

• Residents can recycle their Christmas trees by placing the trees in their yard waste bins on their regular pick-up day.
• Trees must be cut into maximum 4-ft sections and must fit into the green yard waste container.
• Ornaments, tinsel and tree stands must be removed before being recycled.
• Flocked trees cannot be recycled, but will be collected if cut into 4-ft sections and placed into the regular trash bin.

Unincorporated San Diego County

Including: Alpine, Boulevard, Campo, Crest, Dehesa, Descanso, Dulzura, Guatay, Jacumba, Jamul, Lakeside, Pine Valley,Potrero, Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley

If you live in an unincorporated unincorporated regions of the county your curbside guidance varies depending on your contracted hauler. Please contact one of the following haulers for additional guidance.

If you currently have green waste services, Waste Management will collect and recycle Christmas trees for the first two weeks following Christmas from December 26 to January 9 on your scheduled collection day.

If you do not have green waste services, please contact Customer Service at (619) 596-5100 to schedule the pick-up of your Christmas tree for a nominal fee.

• Trees taller than six feet must be cut in half.
• Please remove all decoration including tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands and place in WM Organics cart.
• Flocked trees cannot be recycled, so please cut them to fit into your trash cart and they will be collected by your trash collector.

Unincorporated San Diego County 

Including: Alpine, Boulevard, Campo, Crest, Dehesa, Descanso, Dulzura, Guatay, Jacumba, Jamul, Lakeside, Pine Valley,Potrero, Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley

If you live in an unincorporated unincorporated regions of the county your curbside guidance varies depending on your contracted hauler. Please contact one of the following haulers for additional guidance.

• Remove all ornaments, tinsel, garland, and plastic or metal stands.
• Cut/section the tree in pieces 4ft or shorter.
• Place inside the correct container (flocked or plastic trees = trash, natural tree = green organics container).
• Drivers will not service trees left outside the container. All tree portions must be INSIDE the correct container.
• For more information, all customers can contact Republic Services Customer Service at 619-421-9400

Unincorporated San Diego County 

Including: Alpine, Boulevard, Campo, Crest, Dehesa, Descanso, Dulzura, Guatay, Jacumba, Jamul, Lakeside, Pine Valley,Potrero, Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley

If you live in an unincorporated unincorporated regions of the county your curbside guidance varies depending on your contracted hauler. Please contact one of the following haulers for additional guidance.

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and
  the tree stand
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed

Community

Collection Days

Instructions

Waste Hauler

Chula Vista

• Remove all ornaments, tinsel, garland, and plastic or metal stands. Cut/section the tree in pieces 4ft or shorter.
• Place inside the correct container (flocked or plastic trees = trash, natural tree = green organics container).
• Drivers will not service trees left outside the container. All tree portions must be INSIDE the correct container.
• For more information, all customers can contact Republic Services Customer Service at 619-421-9400

Imperial Beach

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and the tree stand
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed

National City

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and the tree stand
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed

Unincorporated San Diego County

(including Bonita)

• Trees taller than six feet must be cut in half.
  Please remove all decoration including tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands and place in WM organics carts.
• Flocked trees cannot be recycled, so please cut them to fit into your trash cart and they will be collected by your trash collector.

Unincorporated San Diego County

(including Bonita)

• Remove all ornaments, tinsel, garland, and plastic or metal stands. Cut/section the tree in pieces 4ft or shorter. Place inside the correct container (flocked or plastic trees = trash, natural tree = green organics container*).
• Drivers will not service trees left outside the container. All tree portions must be INSIDE the correct container. *If you do not have a green container on-site, please place the natural tree in a separate location near the trash container, following the preparation guidelines mentioned previously.
• For more information, all customers can contact Republic Services Customer Service at 619-421-9400.

Unincorporated San Diego County

(including Bonita)

• Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and
  the tree stand
• Cut tree in 4-foot lengths and trim off branches
• Place trimmed tree inside your green organics cart with the lid closed