O Christmas Tree, We Tire of Thee

Still enjoying those little twinkling lights on your tree? If you do so much longer you may be composting your Christmas tree in the backyard.

For many residents, this is the last week for curbside tree pick-up. After Friday, you're on your own.

If the falling needles haven't been enough incentive to take down the ornaments and the lights, perhaps the prospect of cutting your tree into little chunks to fit in the green bin will. 

Los Altos Hills residents have the whole month to drag their trees out to the roadside. 

As usual, remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel or other non-organic material from the tree. As for wreaths, you can compost the greenery from wreaths in the green bin and recycle the metal frames in the recycling bins, but only if they are disassembled and separated, said a customer service representative from Mission Trail Waste Systems. Otherwise, residents should simply place wreaths in the garbage.

Los Altos residents (Mission Trail Waste Systems): Curbside pick-up on your regular garbage/recycling day until Jan. 13. Flocked trees will be picked up but cannot be composted.

Los Altos Hills residents (Greenwaste Recovery): Curbside Pick-up on your regular garbacge recycling day until Jan. 31 (yes the last day of the month). Important: Trees must be cut in four-foot lengths.

Unincorporated county residents (Recology): Curbside pick-up on your regular recycling day until Jan. 13. Recology says that when trash and recycling collectors see your tree at curbside this week, they will relay that information to their tree team, who will pick up the tree on the next business day. If your pick-up day is a Friday, the tree will be picked up on Monday, but the regular crew must see the tree at curbside on Friday.