Press Release

DON'T TRASH YOUR TREE - RECYCLE IT

December 31, 2008 -- When it’s time to pull off the tinsel and pack away the lights, don’t trash your Christmas tree.  Take it to one of the city of Houston’s 14 tree-recycling locations!  Once again the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department is sponsoring Christmas tree recycling.  From now until January 12, 2009, you can drop off your Christmas tree at one of 14 sites across the city.  If you receive the City’s Automated Garbage Collection, you can also place your tree at the curb on your scheduled tree waste/heavy trash collection day and it will be picked up for recycling.  Decorations and stands must be removed.  No flocked trees will be recycled.

This year the Living Earth Technology Company has pitched in to help with the expense of recycling the trees.  Other partners in the program include CJM Soils Supermarket, Harris County Precinct 4 and Houston Parks and Recreation.  By recycling your tree it gets turned into mulch and saves landfill space and helps the environment.  This year’s collection sites are:

• View this information a .pdf document (7.8 MG file size)
• Numbers in [brackets] below correspond with locations on map at bottom of page

Sun - Sat, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Weekdays - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Closed Sunday

Also, the city is kicking off the new Tree Waste Recycling Program, which will become effective citywide in January 2009 and continue every other odd month after that.   To accomplish this goal, the City has revamped its current method of heavy trash collection:

• The City will collect tree waste exclusively on designated months (odd months) on the resident’s current heavy trash collection day.
• On the alternating months (even months), residents may set out their heavy trash or junk waste at the curb for City collection.
• Residents are limited to eight cubic yard (two pickup beds full) per monthly collection.

“Tree Waste” is defined as “clean wood waste”, which consists of tree limbs, branches and stumps. Lumber, furniture or treated wood will not be accepted.  The term, “Junk Waste,” is used to describe items previously referred to as “heavy trash” such as furniture, appliances, and other bulky material.