Marin waste haulers offer Christmas tree recycling

Waste haulers in Marin County are offering free Christmas tree curbside pickup and drop-off services in the coming weeks.

Customers of Marin Sanitary Service — which serves San Rafael, Larkspur, Ross, San Anselmo, Fairfax and some unincorporated areas — can leave trees at the curb for free pickup on regular garbage collection days between Monday and Jan. 13.

After Jan. 13, residents can expect $5 to be added to their monthly bill for each tree collected curbside. Trees can be cut up and placed in green bins on any regular collection day.

For most haulers, including Marin Sanitary Service, trees over 6 feet that are collected curbside must be cut in half. To be recycled, trees must be bare, said Justin Wilcock, a company manager.

“This means no tinsel, no lights, no metal stands and no flocking,” he said. “If they have these items they will get thrown into the landfill. In the landfill trees break down and create harmful greenhouse gases. It is also important that customers follow our size guidelines as our route trucks cannot fit larger trees.”

Residents can also drop off up to two trees for free at the Marin Resource Recovery Center at 565 Jacoby St. in San Rafael. There will be a charge for flocked trees.

“Flocked trees are getting more popular again than they were before, but they can’t be composted,” said Greg Christie, general manager of Bay Cities Refuse, which serves Marin City and Sausalito.

Christie said trees in the Bay Cities Refuse service area must be cut in half if they are over 7 feet. Trees will be accepted at any time.

“You can put it out in July if you wanted to,” he said.

Recology Sonoma Marin will offer customers in Novato curbside collection from Monday through Friday only. Trees over 6 feet must be cut in half. Trees can be cut and placed in the yard waste bins on any regular collection day. The lid must close.

Recology customers in western Marin must cut up trees and place them in yard waste bins.

In southern Marin, Mill Valley Refuse Service — which covers Mill Valley, Tiburon, Belvedere, Corte Madera and some unincorporated areas — is offering free curbside tree pickup on regular garbage collection days starting Monday. Trees over 5 feet must be cut in half.

The Tamalpais Community Services District is offering free collection from Jan. 10 to 13. Any trees collected outside that window will prompt a $30 charge. Trees placed in yard waste cans must be cut up into pieces no bigger than 2 feet long and 4 inches in diameter.

More information on tree recycling and a list of drop-off locations in Marin is available at zerowastemarin.org/christmas-tree-recycling-2022-23/.