(KRON) – For 30 years, Recology has collected San Francisco residents’ unadorned Christmas trees for recycling. City officials from San Francisco Environment and San Francisco Public Works are asking residents to “keep San Francisco green” by recycling their Christmas trees.
“San Franciscans care about the environment and our future. Our residents continue the holiday spirit when they recycle Christmas trees. Recycling trees is a gift to Mother Nature that keeps on giving for years to come,” said Tyrone Jue, Director of the San Francisco Environment Department. “This is not only a festive tradition, but also a smart way to reduce waste, decrease emissions, and return trees to a natural environment where they can contribute to a vibrant ecosystem.”
For Recology to recycle the tree, residents are required to place their bare tree next to their blue recycling bin the night before their scheduled collection day between Jan. 2 and Jan. 12.
“We never want to see old Christmas trees left out on the sidewalk willy-nilly for extended periods of time where they can become hazards,” said San Francisco Public Works Director Carla Short. “San Francisco’s treecycling initiative helps keep our neighborhoods clean and safe by allowing residents to dispose of their old trees properly and put them to good use as mulch that can be used for landscaping.”
Trees exceeding 6 feet should be cut in half. The city asked not to have the trees in plastic bags.
According to the San Francisco Environment and San Francisco Public Works, treecycling “helps keep San Francisco green and clean by reducing material sent to the landfill and preventing improper disposal and illegal dumping.”
