FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2008 

City to Collect Christmas Trees for Recycling on January 10 and January 17

Recycling your Christmas tree is as easy as placing it at the curb! The City of Alexandria will collect Christmas trees for recycling from residents who receive City trash service on Saturday, January 10 and Saturday, January 17. Trees must be placed at the curb (no alleys) by 7:00 a.m. for recycling collection. There will be no additional pickups this year. Any Christmas trees set out at the curb after January 17 will be collected on regular refuse collection days. In the spring, the Christmas trees and fall leaves are recycled into mulch.

When setting out Christmas trees for recycling, residents are reminded to make sure that all ornaments, tinsel and stands are removed, and to not place trees in plastic bags, as these items will contaminate the mulch.  

Each spring, mulch made from the Christmas trees and fall leaves is available for distribution to City residents at no additional charge. Mulch can be picked up at 4215 Eisenhower Avenue on a first-come, first-served basis, or is available for home delivery for an additional fee.

As part of the City’s Eco-City Alexandria environmental initiative, residents may want to consider the following these environmentally friendly tips for purchasing a Christmas tree:

• Consider buying a potted Norfolk pine, fig tree or indoor house plant that can be used every holiday season as your holiday tree.
• Purchase a tree from a tree farm rather than cutting one down in the wild.
• Use your tree’s trimmed branches for decorating around the home or making wreaths.
• Consider buying an artificial tree that can be reused every year.
• Decorate evergreen bushes or pine trees outside a window with removable, reusable decorations.
• Recycle your tree through Alexandria’s Christmas Tree Recycling Program.

For more information about Christmas tree recycling, spring mulch services, or Eco-City Alexandria, please contact the Department of Transportation & Environmental Services, Solid Waste Division, at 703.519.3486 or visit www.alexandriava.gov/tes.