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SALT LAKE CITY — With the new year marking the end of the holiday season, cities are again offering to take old Christmas trees out of residents' hands.
Most cities along the Wasatch Front, as well as the unincorporated areas of Salt Lake County, offer curbside pickup of Christmas trees during the month of January. Trees should be free of lights, ornaments and tree stands and should not be flocked or artificial, Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling program manager Bill Hobbs said.
Hobbs emphasized that trees should be placed on a curb or parking strip and not in the street. Trees are typically removed on the street's regularly scheduled garbage pickup day, but because of the volume they may remain for as many as two weeks.
If a tree is not picked up immediately, Hobbs suggested that residents remove their trees from the curb until the next scheduled garbage day.
"If may take us two weeks to cover the whole district," he said. "We usually do a pretty good job."
He also said that trees should not be placed upright in the snow, as they are sometimes confused for live, planted trees.
- Place tree on curb or parking strip
- Lay tree down (don't place upright)
- Make sure tree is free of lights, ornaments and tree stands
- Make sure tree is not artificial or flocked
- If tree is taller than 8 feet, Cut in half
In Salt Lake City, curbside pickup of Christmas trees will go from Jan. 7-21, according to the city's sanitation department. Residents who live in downtown apartments should verify that their buildings participate in city's yard waste collection services before throwing out trees.
In Kaysville, residents are encouraged to cut trees taller than 8 feet in half for curbside pickup. Residents are also asked to unbury their trees in the event of a snowstorm prior to removal.
Other cities specify locations where trees can be dropped off for recycling. In Sandy, Dumpsters will be located at Storm Mountain Park, Bell Canyon Park, Flat Iron Mesa Park, Highpoint Park, Crescent Park and Buttercup Park until Jan. 11. In Murray, residents can drop off their trees at Murray Park and Grant Park until the end of the month.
Paul Browning, Sandy City assistant public works director, said the city strayed from curbside pickup because discarded trees would often enter the street and create a problem for snow plows.
"It can be messy," he said. "For the past 10 years we've had more success with the dumpsters."
Orem is providing various collection sites around the city until Jan. 19. City officials are urging residents to not leave their trees in unmarked locations, on the street or in church, school and other private Dumpsters.
Specific information on curbside pickup and drop-off locations can be found on most city websites.
