Community Corner

How to Recycle Your (Piedmont) Christmas Tree

Richmond Sanitary Service will pick up your tree, but unless it's under four feet tall, you will have to cut it up. You can also recycle your tree at Waste Management's Davis Street Transfer Station in San Leandro.

What to do with the Christmas tree when the holidays are over:

Richmond Sanitary Service, Piedmont's regular refuse collection service, will pick up natural, unflocked Christmas trees — cut into four-foot lengths, with ornaments and stands removed — curbside through the first weekend in February. Flocked and artificial trees too large to fit in the black waste can can be picked up for a $25 fee.

Piedmont residents may also take their trees to Waste Management's Davis Street Transfer Station in San Leandro. Recycling of one natural tree brought to the transfer station is free.

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Details on both programs are below.

Richmond Sanitary Service

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According to Richmond Sanitary Service, unflocked, natural holiday trees (free of tinsel, ornaments, stands, etc.) will be collected as a part of the organics recycling program on your scheduled organics collection day.

Holiday trees will be collected curbside through the first weekend in February. They don't have to be placed in your green cart, an RSS representative said, but they do need to be cut into lengths no longer than four feet,

Holiday trees may also be placed inside your green cart — cut to size so that contents will fall freely when serviced — on your scheduled green waste collection day. Please remember that carts with materials extending beyond the rim of the container are subject to extra waste charges.

Flocked and artificial trees, and trees wrapped in cloth or plastic, are not recyclable. Non-recyclable tree pick-up must be scheduled by calling the RSS Customer Service Office at 800-320-0087. There will be a $25 pick-up fee for non-recyclable trees.

To be collected curbside, non-recyclable natural trees must be cut so that pieces are no longer than four feet long. Non-recyclable trees also may be cut to size to fit in the black waste cart with the lid closed.

Richmond Sanitary Service customers with recyclable trees who are unable to meet their scheduled green waste collection day may take their holiday tree to the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill to be recycled at no charge through the first weekend in February.

This free service is offered only to RSS customers — bring your most recent RSS bill and proof of residency. Regular disposal charges will apply to artificial trees, trees that are flocked, wrapped in cloth or plastic, contaminated with tinsel or ornaments, and trees with stands attached.

Davis Street Transfer Station

Piedmont residents are welcome to bring their trees to the Davis Street Transfer Station, 2615 Davis St., San Leandro, according to Waste Management staff.

Recycling of one natural Christmas tree (unflocked, free of ornaments and stands, any size) is free. There is a $5 charge for each additional tree.

Flocked, articficial and other non-recyclable trees are charged the transfer station's usual disposal rates of $30.62 per cubic yard, plus a $5 environmental fee and a fuel surcharge.

The transfer station is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will close at 1 p.m. on New Year's Eve and be closed New Year's Day.


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