Santa Cruz County announces tree recycling program

If you move your Christmas tree from the living room to the curb, it can be recycled into fuel or mulch, according to Santa Cruz County officials.

Various cities, fire protection districts and waste haulers in the county announced a free, holiday tree recycling program on Thursday. The program, which starts Jan. 1, includes curbside pickup and drop off locations. Collected trees will be chipped and used as mulch or as fuel to generate electricity.

Curbside Pickup

Holiday trees will be picked up at the curb early in the morning on regular garbage collection days.

· City of Santa Cruz – Jan. 1-14

· Scotts Valley, Capitola, and unincorporated areas of the county – Jan. 2-13

· City of Watsonville – Jan. 9-13

Trees should be free of ornaments, tinsel, and any metal or plastic stands. For curbside pickup, trees should be cut to a 6-foot length. In unincorporated areas of the county, trees must be cut to 3-foot lengths for curbside pickup. Flocked trees will not be accepted.

Drop Off Locations

Holiday trees can also be dropped off at special tree collection bins at many fire stations and other locations around Santa Cruz County. The bins will be available at the locations listed below until Jan. 20, 2017, unless otherwise noted:

· Aptos – Fire Station, 6934 Soquel Drive

· Ben Lomond – Transfer Station, 9835 Newell Creek Rd., 7:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. (Closed Sundays and New Year’s Day)

· Boulder Creek – Fire Station, 13230 Central Ave.

· Felton – Fire Station, 131 Kirby St.

· Freedom – Fire Station No. 2, 370 Airport Blvd.

· La Selva Beach – Triangle Park on Playa Boulevard

· Live Oak – East Cliff Shopping Center, 21511 East Cliff Dr., rear parking lot

· Santa Cruz – Municipal Resource Recovery Facility, 605 Dimeo Ln., December 26 through January 31, 2017 from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Closed Sundays, a half -day closure New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day)

· Scotts Valley – Fire Station, 7 Erba Ln.

· Soquel – Fire Station, 4747 Soquel Dr.

· South County – County Landfill, 1231 Buena Vista Dr., (Closed Sundays and New Year’s Day)

· Watsonville – Waste and Recycling Drop-Off Center, 320 Harvest Dr. , 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Closed Sundays and Dec. 30-Jan. 2)

Additional information is available online: Click here .