Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Recycle that tree!

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

()

If, unlike us, you don't procrastinate, you're already planning for the disposal of your Christmas tree. Maybe you already booked the full-service recycling disposal from the aptly-named California Christmas Tree Recycling. For a fee, they'll come to your house, drain the stand, remove the tree, vacuum the dropped needles and then take your holiday decor off to become mulch for more trees. For less dough, they'll grab it from your curb and make sure it ends up as mulch, not landfill. They'll pick up from Santa Monica to Beverly Hills to Koreatown (sorry, Silverlake).

In the City of LA, you can chop your tree up and dump it in your green bin to make sure it gets recycled. If that's not feasible, you can take your tree to one of several drop-off points in the city during weekends in January (7th/8th and 14th/15th). But you'll have to vacuum your own car. And the city doesn't want your flocked tree.

If you live in an unincorporated part of LA County (like Altadena, Marina Del Rey or La Crescenta) you've got Christmas tree disposal rules. Incorporated cities -- which stretch from Pomona to Torrance -- have their own special guidelines: flocked yes, flocked no, lengths shorter than 6 feet, or 10 feet, or 8 feet. In Claremont, your tree must be 3 feet away from your other garbage and recycling. You get the idea; check for what applies to you.

Support for LAist comes from

If all that is starting to make your head spin, the California Christmas Tree Recycling folks do their thing until February 2. So you can enjoy your tree for a while yet before having to decide. Like us.

Photo by Robbie Sproule

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist