Where to Recycle Your Christmas Trees

Once you've gone through the presents and taken photos in front of the tree, what do you do with that tree?

Residents of San Diego have several options when it comes to recycling their Christmas trees.

See the list of residential drop-off site locations below. More information is available by calling Environmental Services Department Customer Service at 858-694-7000.

The City of San Diego Environmental Services Department will be hosting their annual Christmas Tree Recyling Program starting Dec. 26 to Jan. 23. Drop off locations for residents are:

  • Carmel Valley - Carmel Valley Recreation Center, 3777 Townsgate Drive, lower parking lot
  • Encanto - Cielo Drive at Woodman Street
  • Golden Hill - Golden Hill Recreation Center, 2600 Golf Course Drive
  • La Jolla - Kate Sessions Memorial Park, Soledad Road and Loring Street
  • Logan Heights - Memorial Recreation Center, 2902 Marcy Avenue
  • Miramar - The Greenery at the Miramar Landfill, Convoy Street north of Highway 52
  • Mission Bay - Sea World Drive at Pacific Highway
  • Oak Park - Chollas Lake, 6350 College Grove Drive, in Gloria's Mesa parking lot
  • Ocean Beach - Robb Athletic Field Recreation Center, 2525 Bacon Street
  • Otay Mesa/Nestor - Montgomery Waller Community Park (lower-west parking lot)
  • Rancho Bernardo - Rancho Bernardo Recreation Center, 18448 W. Bernardo Drive
  • Rancho Penasquitos - Canyonside Recreation Center, 12350 Black Mountain Road
  • San Diego State University - Parking Lot D off Alvarado Road
  • Scripps Ranch - Scripps Ranch Recreation Center, 11454 Blue Cypress Drive
  • Tierrasanta - De Portola Middle School, 11010 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard
  • University City - Swanson Pool, 3585 Governor Drive

Residents with yard waste collection can get curbside collection for their trees. Manual container customers can use their own bins and place trees on the curb on their regular greenery pickup day. Automated container customers using the large, green 96-gallon bin provided should cut their trees to fit into the container on the designated collection day. 

Before getting rid of your trees, be sure to take off all ornaments, tinsel, lights and tree stands before dropping off your tree at the locations or leaving it out for the curbside pickup. Flocked trees are also accepted.

Artificial trees will not be accepted.

The Miramar Greenery accepts trees throughout the year at 180 Convoy St., inside the Miramar Landfill, North of Highway 52.

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