The City’s annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program, which provides residents with an environmentally friendly alternative for the disposal of live trees, has kicked off today and will run through Saturday, Jan. 13. Residents of West and Southwest Philadelphia who wish to drop off their trees to be recycled may take them to the Sanitation Convenience Centers listed below open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday:

• 3033 S. 63rd Street

• 5100 Grays Avenue

Residents may also drop their trees off at 13 designated locations on Saturdays, Jan. 6 and Jan. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The two locations in West Philly are:

• 54th St. and Woodbine Ave.

• 43rd St. and Powelton Ave.

For a successful recycling program, residents should make sure that trees are free of all decorations and untied.

Christmas trees present a seasonal addition to the City’s waste stream. By recycling them and returning them to the earth, we reduce our waste costs and create a valuable resource.

In addition to recycling trees, residents may follow these tips to re-use their trees:

– Small pine limbs and needles are good winter mulch material for sensitive plants.
– Trees can also become backyard compost.

Please note that trees should not be burned in a fireplace. The sap from the tree creates foul odors and can coat the chimney with creosote which can cause a fire.

As always, the program is for residents who receive City collected trash and recycling services. Vendors are responsible for making arrangements for the private disposal of their discarded trees. For those households that cannot participate in the recycling program, trees set out for pick up will be collected on regularly scheduled collection day as trash.

Typically, during the holiday season more waste is generated. In addition to Christmas trees, there are many more items to recycle during this holiday season, such as:

– Wrapping paper (except glitter or metallic paper) and gift tags.
– Glass wine and champagne bottles.
– Soda and beer cans, paper grocery bags, department store sale flyers and catalogs, telephone books and calendars.

For more details about this 35-year-old program, go here.

In addition to the city-run tree recycling program, here is another great opportunity for West Philly residents to responsibly dispose of their trees. On Sunday, Jan. 7, the West Philly neighborhood greening organization, UC Green, will hold its annual Tree-Cycle event at two local parks:

Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore):
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Malcolm X Park (51st and Pine):
1 – 3 p.m.

A $5-$20 donation per tree is requested. More details are in the Instagram post below:

 

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