Recycle your Christmas tree! Please prepare trees properly for recycling by removing ornaments, tinsel, and plastic or metal tree stands. Flocked trees will not be accepted.

Free mulch is available to residents and may be picked up at the South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station year round. For more information, please call (805) 681-4346.

Curbside Tree Collection

No matter where you live in Santa Barbara County, it is easy to recycle your tree.

If you live in the City of Carpinteria and you are a customer of E.J. Harrison and Sons, you may place your tree in or near your green waste container on any green waste collection day.

If you live in the unincorporated areas of Carpinteria, Goleta, Hope Ranch, Isla Vista, Montecito, Summerland, or Santa Barbara, or in the Cities of Santa Barbara or Goleta, and you are a customer of Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) or MarBorg Industries, you may place your tree at the curb on trash or green waste collection days. BFI customers must cut Christmas trees to a length no greater than four feet.

For customers of Health Sanitation Service (HSS) who live in the following areas, please place your tree at the curb on your regular trash pick-up day between January 3, and 7, 2005:

Buellton, Guadalupe, Mesa Oaks, Mission Hills, Orcutt, unincorporated area of Santa Maria, Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang, Vandenberg Village/Country Club

If you live in the City of Lompoc, please place your tree for pickup by the City near refuse containers on January 3, 2005. If your tree has not been picked up by January 6th, please call (805) 875-8024.

If you live in the City of Santa Maria, you may place your tree at the curb on trash collection days between January 3, through 7, 2005 for pickup by the City.

Drop-Off Locations

If you do not have curbside service, you may drop your tree off at one of the following locations during operating hours:

South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station
4430 Calle Real
Santa Barbara
(805) 681-4345
Open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; this service is available through January 15, 2005;

Health Sanitation Service
1850 W. Betteravia Road
Santa Maria
(805) 922-2121
Open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Lompoc Landfill
Terminus of Avalon Road
Lompoc
(805) 736-3343
Open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Santa Ynez Valley Recycling and Transfer Station (formerly known as the Foxen Canyon Landfill)
4004 Foxen Canyon Road
Los Olivos
(805) 688-3555
Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; this service is available through January 15, 2005;

Holiday Waste Prevention Tips

You can help reduce the amount of waste generated in Santa Barbara County by taking a few of the following simple steps:

- Flatten, save, & reuse gift boxes, wrapping paper, bows and gift bags;
- Buy cards & wrapping paper products made with recycled paper;
- After receiving new gifts, donate old items to a local charity or thrift store;
- Save & reuse holiday decorations for future years;
- Cut up brown paper grocery bags to wrap parcels for mailing;
- Save bubble wrap & Styrofoam peanuts, or offer them to local private mailing stores;

California Department of Conservation Gift Guide

The California Department of Conservation has issued its annual Green Gift Guide, which is available online at www.greengiftguide.com. The Green Gift Guide showcases gifts such as an all-weather L.L. Bean® Adirondack chair made from recycled plastic jugs, Birkenstock® socks made from recycled plastic water bottles, beautiful dinnerware made from recycled glass bottles and decorative items made from recycled aluminum cans.

In addition to a variety of gifts made from recycled material, the 2004 Green Gift Guide includes simple hints and suggestions on how to shop for creative, eco-friendly products, conserve natural resources, save energy and simple "green living" tips for year-round.

If you have any questions, please call the County Public Works Department, Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division, at (805) 882-3615. Happy holidays!

Last updated: December 10, 2004

Copyright © 2000 Santa Barbara County Public Works Department
Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division