Christmas Tree Recycling Guide: How and Where to Recycle Real Christmas Trees in San Diego County
After the holidays, San Diego residents can help close the loop on seasonal waste by recycling their real Christmas trees instead of sending them to the landfill. When trees are mulched or composted, they’re transformed into nutrient-rich organic material that supports healthy soil and landscaping throughout the region. Recycling Christmas trees also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, since organic waste in landfills produces methane, a powerful contributor to climate change. In fact, according to the EPA, organic materials like food scraps, yard waste, and Christmas trees make up nearly two-thirds of what ends up in landfills.
To make recycling easy, waste haulers offer convenient curbside pickup and drop-off options across the region. Residents can find a complete list of 2025–2026 Christmas tree recycling locations at WasteFreeSD.org. To ensure trees can be properly recycled, be sure to remove all decorations, lights, stands, and bags, avoid flocked trees and tinsel, cut trees taller than four feet if using curbside service, and recycle promptly after the holidays. Organic wreaths can be recycled too, while artificial trees should be reused or donated when possible.
Follow these guidelines to make sure your tree can be properly recycled:
- Remove all decorations, lights, stands, and bags
- Flocked trees and tinsel can’t be recycled
- If using curbside recycling, cut trees taller than four feet in half
- Recycle live trees and organic wreaths promptly after the holidays
- Artificial trees should be reused or donated when possible
Find Curbside Pickup Guidelines for North County, East County, South Bay, Central San Diego, and Unincorporated Residents below.
Find Dropoff sites in the City of San Diego and County of San Diego below.
