Christmas Tree Recycling and Holiday Waste Reduction Tips
During this holiday season, help our environment by recycling your Christmas tree. No matter where you live in Santa Barbara County, it’s free and easy to recycle your Christmas tree. Just remember to follow these tips:
· Cut trees over six feet in half and
· Remove all ornaments, tinsel, and stands. Trees with stands and flocked trees cannot be recycled.
For information on recycling your Christmas tree, please visit the County of Santa Barbara Public Works Department’s website, http://www.lessismore.org/materials/77-christmas-tree-recycling.
In addition to recycling your Christmas tree, here are some helpful tips for reducing holiday waste:
· Use reusable bags for holiday shopping. Tell store clerks you don’t need a bag for small or oversized purchases.
· Wrap gifts in recycled or reused wrapping paper. Save and recycle or reuse used wrapping paper.
· Give gifts that don’t require much packaging or wrapping e.g. tickets, gift cards, or gift certificates.
· Consider sending electronic greeting cards rather than paper cards. If you do send paper greeting cards, use cards made of recycled-content to reduce the amount of virgin paper used.
· Buy rechargeable batteries for electronic gifts and consider giving a battery charger as well.
· Read a product’s label to determine its recyclability and whether or not it is made from recycled materials. Buying products made from recycled-materials supports manufacturers of such products and fosters markets for those materials.
For additional information on ways to prevent and reduce holiday waste and suggestions for alternative gift giving and wrapping, please visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website, http://epa.gov/osw/wycd/funfacts/winter.htm and CalRecycle’s website, http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/PublicEd/Holidays/.
The Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division (RRWMD) manages and administers waste processing and disposal operations, resource recovery and waste diversion programs, long-range solid waste management plans, solid waste collection franchises, permitting of unscheduled solid waste collection in the unincorporated areas of the County, preparation of engineering and geologic plans and documents for the County’s solid waste facilities, and monitors all active and closed landfills currently or previously owned by the County.