This guide covers the City of San Diego. Other cities in the county and private haulers run their own programs. It summarizes City pages as of November 9, 2026, in our own words. The City announces each season's drop-off dates and sites in December, so the list below is from the 2025-2026 season; check the linked program page before you go. It is general information, not legal advice.
Before you recycle: what to remove
Recycled trees become compost and mulch, so anything that is not wood and needles has to come off. The City's Christmas Tree Recycling Program page asks you to remove:
- Stands, bags and netting. Including the plastic tree bag many people use to carry the tree out. Plastic bags are never allowed in the green bin, even if labeled compostable.
- Lights, ornaments, tinsel and other decorations. Check the inner branches for hooks and wire.
- Flocked trees are fine. The City accepts both green and flocked (fake snow) trees. Artificial trees are not accepted (see below).
Option 1: your green bin
If the City collects your trash, the green organic waste bin is the easiest route, and it works any week of the year, not only in the drop-off season.
- Cut it to fit. The City says to cut the tree so it fits in the automated green bin. Its organic waste recycling guide says all yard trimmings must fit with the lid closed. A large tree may need more than one week's pickup.
- Set out on your normal day. Green bins are collected weekly, with the bin at the curb or alley by 6 a.m. Find your day with the collection schedule tool. There is no City collection on Christmas Day; the City's collection rules say pickups that week run one day late from the holiday on.
- No green bin? City-serviced homes can request one at 858-694-7000 or [email protected]. Apartments and condos with five or more units, gated communities and private streets usually have a private hauler; ask your property manager how that hauler takes trees.
Option 2: free City drop-off sites
Every year, starting the day after Christmas, the City opens free Christmas tree drop-off sites, mostly in recreation center and park parking lots. The 2025-2026 program (the City's 52nd) ran from Dec. 26, 2025 to Jan. 16, 2026. Its flyer sets three rules: drop off during daylight hours only, residential customers only, and no commercial or fundraising (tree lot) trees. The City also asks people not to dump anything else at the sites.
The 2025-2026 sites (one listed site, Chollas Lake in Oak Park, was not available that season):
| Community | Location |
|---|---|
| Carmel Valley | Carmel Valley Recreation Center, 3777 Townsgate Drive (lower parking lot) |
| Colina Del Sol | Colina Del Sol Park, 52nd Street and 52nd Place (south parking lot) |
| Encanto | Cielo Drive at Woodman Street |
| Golden Hill | Golden Hill Recreation Center, 2600 Golf Course Drive |
| Logan Heights | Memorial Recreation Center, 2902 Marcy Ave. |
| Mission Bay | SeaWorld Drive at Pacific Highway |
| Mountain View | Ocean View Boulevard at 40th Street (north side) |
| Ocean Beach | Robb Field Recreation Center, 2525 Bacon St. |
| Otay Mesa / Nestor | Montgomery-Waller Community Park (lower lot, southeast corner of Palm Avenue and Beyer Boulevard) |
| Pacific Beach | Kate Sessions Memorial Park, Mount Soledad Road at Loring Street |
| Rancho Bernardo | Rancho Bernardo Recreation Center, 18448 West Bernardo Drive |
| Rancho Peñasquitos | Canyonside Recreation Center, 12350 Black Mountain Road |
| SDSU | Parking Lot 17 off Alvarado Road |
| Scripps Ranch | Scripps Ranch Recreation Center, 11454 Blue Cypress Drive |
| Tierrasanta | Tierrasanta Community Park, 11220 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. (pool parking lot) |
| University City | Standley Community Park (parking lot), 3585 Governor Drive |
Sites can change from year to year. The City's program page lists the current season, and the recycling hotline is 858-694-7000. For locations outside the City, the program page points to WasteFreeSD, a countywide recycling directory run by I Love A Clean San Diego.
Option 3: Miramar Greenery, all year
The Miramar Greenery at the Miramar Landfill, 5180 Convoy St., accepts Christmas trees and other yard trimmings year-round, Monday to Saturday, but this is not free: the City says disposal fees apply (see the landfill fee page), and every load must be covered. Questions: 858-694-7000, Monday to Friday.
The trees collected in the program are ground into compost, mulch and wood chips there. According to the City's Greenery products page, City residents can self-load up to two cubic yards of compost or mulch for free with proof of residency, bringing their own shovel and container; staff loading and wood chips cost extra.
Artificial trees
- Not recyclable through the program. The City does not accept artificial trees at its drop-off sites, and they are not organic waste, so they do not belong in the green bin.
- Reuse first. A tree that still works can be donated or given away. One that is broken is trash; our illegal dumping and bulky items guide lists the legal disposal options, including Miramar Landfill (fees apply). Pre-lit trees have wiring; WasteFreeSD can show whether a nearby site takes them.
Reporting dumped trees
Every January, trees turn up on sidewalks, in alleys, canyons and vacant lots. Inside the City of San Diego, report a dumped tree to Environmental Services as illegal dumping:
- Online. The Get It Done illegal dumping report or the Get It Done San Diego app. Add the exact spot and a photo.
- By phone. Environmental Services, 858-694-7000.
Our illegal dumping guide covers City timeframes, dumping on private property and following up on a report.
Who to call: quick reference
A Christmas tree was dumped on a sidewalk, in a canyon or in an alley
Responsible: Environmental Services
Contact: Get It Done illegal dumping report or the Get It Done San Diego app; phone 858-694-7000.
Other trash or bulky items were left at a tree drop-off site
Responsible: Environmental Services
Contact: Get It Done illegal dumping report; see our illegal dumping guide.
Your green bin was not emptied on collection day
Responsible: Environmental Services
Contact: Missed collection on Get It Done or 858-694-7000; see our trash and recycling guide.
You have no green bin
Responsible: Environmental Services
Contact: 858-694-7000 or [email protected] to request one (City-serviced homes).
You want to know the drop-off sites and dates for this season
Responsible: Environmental Services, Recycling
Contact: The City's Christmas Tree Recycling Program page; recycling hotline 858-694-7000.
Let your neighbors know
Report dumped trees to the City first. If trees keep piling up in the same spot after the holidays, sharing it on SaveSanDiego lets neighbors see it is known. SaveSanDiego is an independent community platform, not a City service.
Frequently asked questions
Does the City of San Diego pick up Christmas trees?
Yes, through your green organic waste bin if you have City collection. The City says to cut the tree into pieces that fit in the green bin and set it out on your normal collection day. Its organics guide adds that everything must fit with the lid closed. There is no separate curbside tree pickup, and a whole tree left next to the bin is not part of automated collection.
Where can I drop off a Christmas tree for free in San Diego?
At the City's seasonal drop-off sites, mostly recreation center and park parking lots. In the 2025-2026 season the program ran from Dec. 26, 2025 to Jan. 16, 2026 with 16 sites, open during daylight hours to residential customers only. The City posts each season's dates and site list on its Christmas Tree Recycling Program page, so check it before you go.
Can I put a flocked Christmas tree in the green bin?
The City's program page says both green and flocked (fake snow) trees are accepted for recycling. Remove everything else first: stands, bags, netting, lights, ornaments and tinsel. The organics guide also says no plastic bags of any kind go in the green bin, including ones labeled compostable.
What do I do with an artificial Christmas tree?
Artificial trees are not accepted at the City's tree drop-off sites, and they are not organic waste, so they do not go in the green bin. If it still works, consider donating it. Otherwise it is trash: see our illegal dumping and bulky items guide for legal disposal options, including Miramar Landfill, where disposal fees apply.
Can businesses or tree lots use the City drop-off sites?
No. The City's flyer says the drop-off sites are for residential customers only and do not take commercial or fundraising trees. The Miramar Greenery at 5180 Convoy St. accepts Christmas trees and other yard trimmings all year, subject to disposal fees.
What happens to recycled Christmas trees?
The City says the trees are turned into compost, mulch and wood chips at the Miramar Greenery. City residents can self-load up to two cubic yards of compost or mulch there for free with proof of residency; there is a charge if Greenery staff load it, and for wood chips.
Someone dumped a Christmas tree on my street. Who removes it?
Inside the City of San Diego, report it to Environmental Services as illegal dumping with Get It Done (the app or getitdone.sandiego.gov), or call 858-694-7000. Include the exact location and a photo.
Sources
- City of San Diego Environmental Services: Christmas Tree Recycling Program 2025-2026
- City of San Diego: Christmas Tree Recycling Program flyer 2025-2026 (PDF)
- City of San Diego: Curbside Organic Waste Recycling Guide (PDF)
- City of San Diego: General Refuse Collection Information and Rules
- City of San Diego: Miramar Greenery
- City of San Diego: Greenery Products, Pricing and Pickup
- City of San Diego: Miramar Landfill Refuse Disposal Fees
- WasteFreeSD (I Love A Clean San Diego)
Last checked November 9, 2026. Dates, sites and fees change each season; the City pages linked above are the final word. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Related guides: Missed Trash or Recycling Pickup in San Diego: What to Do, Illegal Dumping in San Diego: Report It, Dispose Legally, Community Gardens in San Diego.