ADA COUNTY, Idaho — Residents looking to recycle their Christmas trees have a few options in Ada County. The Ada County Landfill and the City of Boise both have seasonal programs for free disposal of holiday trees.
"For years we haven't had a Christmas tree," said Theresa Regnier. "So now that we can have a Christmas tree again, we decided to do a live tree and we didn't really know where to go to recycle it."
Regnier and Richard Albert are among the many Ada County residents recycling their Christmas trees for free at the Ada County Landfill.
"I think it's positive because it keeps people from dumping their Christmas trees wherever they like," Regnier added.
"But if you bring it up to the landfill, you can drop it off whole. It's very important to have a bare tree, so no tinsel, no flocking, no ornaments, no lights, no Christmas tree stand," says Rebecca Weeks, the Ada County Landfill Education and Outreach Manager.
Weeks emphasized the importance of bringing a bare tree to the landfill to ensure it can be composted.
For those who prefer not to make the trip to the landfill, Boise residents can also put their tree into their curbside compost bins.
"If you live in Boise and you're part of the residential compost program, meaning that you have one of these green carts at your house, the best thing to do is to cut up your tree with some loppers. You can take it and put it into a couple segments, put it inside your cart. The big thing is making sure that that cart lid can fully close," says Lisa Knapp, the Compost Program Lead for the City of Boise.
Residents utilizing the curbside pick-up should not leave whole trees on the side of the road or put whole trees in their compost bin, as Republic Services won't pick up any trees that don't fit fully in the compost can. They must also be free of any Christmas lights, ornaments, tree stands, wire or flocking.
The Ada County Landfill will accept Christmas trees free of charge until Jan. 10.
Two businesses in Boise recycle Christmas lights:
- Pacific Steel and Recycling: Located at 5120 Emerald Street, Boise, ID 83706
- Western Recycling: Located at 1990 South Cole Road, Boise, ID 83709
