If your real Christmas tree and wreaths are done, Athens’ Christmas tree pick up is ready to assist taking them off your hands and get ‘em ready for recycling and composting. West Hollywood’s collection window runs through Jan. 10., Beverly Hills through Jan. 31. Collections are on your usual pickup day. Full schedule, plus other cities, is here.
Common sense prep first: pull the tree off the stand, remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel, the whole setup. The tree must be bare. Important to note that trees over six feet need to be cut in half or down into manageable pieces. Since most trees are over 6’, be sure to do this, or run the risk of having it left on the curb.
You need to put the tree next to/outside of your trash containers, not inside them. Athens says that placement is what gets it collected for recycling.
Trees that do not go into the tree-recycling pile include: artificial trees, flocked trees, and trees coated with fire retardant, those are treated as trash, not compost.
If an artificial tree is still in good shape, it’s worth donating or reusing. If it’s broken, or you’re dealing with anything that can’t be recycled, you’ll want to schedule a bulky item pickup; Athens’ bulky item request page is here.
If you miss the tree collection window, Athens’ guidance is to cut the tree up and place the pieces in your green organics container.
Gift boxes, wrapping paper, and other paper packaging can also be recycled with regular paper and cardboard recycling.
If it’s with the old and in with new be electronics you have to dispose of them properly. You can drop off your old electronics to a collection center such as the UCLA S.A.F.E. Drop-Off Center (call 1-800-773-2489 for more information), or schedule an e-waste pickup with Athens Services. For details, please visit the City of West Hollywood’s website Trash and Recycling page.
Bulky or large items, such as refrigerators, carpet, and wood, can be picked up at no charge but you are limited to two items max. Call Athens Services directly at (888) 336-6100 for details and to arrange pickup or go online to schedule one.
If you think your generating a larger amount of trash than usual and your trash and recycling bins are full or cannot accommodate the additional trash DO NOT place your extra trash and recycling on the ground with your bins or carts. Better to call Athens to schedule extra services to accommodate your extra trash and recycling.
One more quick note: if a holiday shifts your pickup day for the week, follow the City’s posted schedule for solid waste service, see that schedule here.
