Countywide : Plans Made to Turn Yule Trees to Chips

Before Christmas trees are even purchased, Ventura County is working on a plan to recycle them into wood chips that can be used in landscaping.

“We’re hoping that each city in the county will have two to three drop-off locations,” said Victoria Hand, manager of the county’s recycling division.

Under the plan--the first countywide recycling program--trees will either be picked up at curbsides and taken to a drop-off location at a city or county park, or residents will take their Christmas trees to drop-off locations, Hand said. A grinding machine will be on the site. “We don’t want to transport the trees or the chips all over the county.”

The chips could be used for landscaping at the park, or a tree owner could take home a bag of chips after his tree has been ground up.

“If we do get curbside pickups, we will have to make sure all the metal is off of the tree, such as metal tree stakes. Those stakes would ruin the grinders,” Hand said. Hand will be asking for donations to get the project going.

Using California Christmas Tree Growers Assn. figures, Hand estimates that about 90,000 Christmas trees will be purchased in Ventura County. At an average of 20 pounds per tree, the program would produce about 900 tons of chips.