Your natural Christmas tree is so beautiful and joyful, it doesn’t deserve to land in the trash, does it?
Organic waste left to rot in landfills produces methane, a toxic greenhouse gas. But recycled Christmas trees are chipped into mulch, a natural landscaping product that helps to conserve water, discourage weeds and beautify garden beds.
In Clark County, Waste Connections will pick up customers’ trees and tree sections during its regular yard debris and organic waste collections.
First, make sure you remove everything that isn’t organic: all lights, tinsel, wire, ornaments and stands. Taller trees must be cut into sections no longer than 5 feet. Place those sections inside or beside your yard debris or organics cart on your scheduled service day. If the tree is in addition to a full cart, an additional fee may apply.
You can also recycle any tree of any size, usually for a small fee ($5 or less), at these locations:
- Central Transfer and Recycling, 11034 N.E. 117th Ave., Vancouver, 360-256-8482;
- City Bark, 2419 N.E. Andresen Road, Vancouver, 360-253-8461;
- H&H Wood Recyclers, 8401 N.E. 117th Ave., Vancouver, 360-892-2805;
- McFarlane’s Bark, 8806 N.E. 117th Ave., Vancouver, 360-892-6125;
- Triangle Resources, 612 S.E. Union St., Camas, 360-834-7253;
- West Van Materials Recovery Center, 6601 N.W. Old Lower River Road, Vancouver, 360-737-1727.
Another option is Scouting America, which will collect trees for recycling on Jan. 4 in many areas of Clark County. The service is free, but donations will be accepted. Flyers will be distributed in many neighborhoods where pickup is available. You can plug your address into the Scout Tree Recycling website (scouttreerecycling.com) for local information and to make arrangements.
If you’re a Waste Connections customer without yard debris or organics service, you can still put cut trees next to your garbage carts and pay for an extra 32-gallon collection. Trees collected with garbage are sent to the landfill, not recycled.
Don’t forget: artificial trees and trees “flocked” with artificial snow cannot be recycled. Place them in the trash or, if in good shape, donate to a thrift store or free-giveaway group or venue.
For more information on holiday waste recycling and disposal, visit the Clark County Green Neighbors website (clarkgreenneighbors.org).
