If you're looking to recycle your Christmas tree, there are some local resources available, as well as many drop off locations throughout Kern County.
Residents are urged to recycle their Christmas trees in one of the following options:
1. In the metro-Bakersfield area, residents can place Christmas trees into their green waste container as long as the tree is cut into small pieces and the container lid is completely closed. Whole trees are not accepted. The garbage hauler will take it to the Mount Vernon Green Waste Recycling Facility. It's that simple.
2. Contact one of the non-profit organizations in Kern County that pick up Christmas trees for a small donation. Go to KernCountyWaste.com.
3. Residents can self-haul whole Christmas trees to one of 22 drop-off locations throughout Kern County Dec. 26 to Jan.11, 2015.
If you prefer to take your Christmas trees to one of the drop-off locations, please tarp and secure your load properly. Don't forget to remove all ornaments, lights, and the tree stand prior to recycling the Christmas tree.
Approximately 25-30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. every year. After Christmas, thousands of Christmas trees will be sliced, minced and diced into a rich mulch to be used by city parks, schoolyards and roadways. Christmas trees are chipped and shredded into mulch which is used for water conservation and weed control in parks, as ground padding in playgrounds, as erosion/dust control on hiking trails and bridle paths, as additives in composting for landscaping and fertilizers and as alternative fuel in "biomass" co-generation facilities. "Kern County has been recycling Christmas trees for over 22 years and now it's easier than ever to participate in the program" says Douglas E. Landon, Director of the Kern County Waste Management Department.
Recycle your Christmas tree! It's easy: use your Green Waste Container, call a local organization to pick it up, or bring it to one of the recycling drop-off locations. REMEMBER…..SAVE YOUR CASH & TARP YOUR TRASH!
The following is a list of Kern County Christmas Tree Recycling Drop-Off Locations & Pick up organizations.
Please Remove Tree Stands, Nails, and Decorations - NO BAGS PLEASE!
Arvin § DiGiorgio Park, Corner of Meyer St. & Haven Dr. § Bena Landfill, 2951 Neumarkel Rd. 17 miles East of Bakersfield, off Hwy 58 at Tower Line Rd
Bakersfield § Bena Landfill, 2951 Neumarkel Rd. 17 miles East of Bakersfield, off Hwy 58 at Tower Line Rd § Shafter-Wasco Landfill -17621 Scofield Road, 8 miles west of Shafter § City of Bakersfield Green Waste Facility, 2601 S. Mt. Vernon Ave., 2 miles South of Hwy 58
Boron § Boron Landfill, 11400 Boron Avenue, ½ mile south of Boron
Buttonwillow § Shafter-Wasco Landfill -17621 Scofield Road, 8 miles west of Shafter § Taft Landfill - 13351 Elk Hills Road, 4 miles north of Taft & 1 mile north of Hwy 119
California City § Boron Landfill, 11400 Boron Avenue, ½ mile south of Boron § Vacant Lot, Between the Fire Station & Rite Aid § Mojave-Rosamond Landfill, 400 Silver Queen Rd., 5 miles south of Mojave
Delano § McFarland-Delano Transfer Station, 11249 Stradley Ave., 1 mile south of Delano § City of Delano Corporation Yard, 725 So. Lexington Street
Frazier Park § Lebec Transfer Station, 300 Landfill Rd., off Lebec Rd., I-5 to Lebec Exit
Kern Valley § Kern Valley Transfer Station, 6092 Wulstein Way, 4 miles south of Kernville off of Sierra Hwy
Lamont § Bena Landfill, 2951 Neumarkel Rd. 17 miles East of Bakersfield, off Hwy 58 at Tower Line Rd § City of Bakersfield Green Waste Facility, 2601 S. Mt. Vernon Ave., 2 miles South of Hwy 58
Lebec § Lebec Transfer Station, 300 Landfill Road, off of Lebec Road. I-5 to Lebec Exit
Maricopa § Taft Landfill, 13351 Elk Hills Road, 4 miles north of Taft & 1 mile north of Hwy 119
McFarland § McFarland-Delano Transfer Station, 11249 Stradley Ave., 1 mile south of Delano
Mojave § Mojave-Rosamond Landfill, 400 Silver Queen Rd., 5 miles south of Mojave
Ridgecrest § Ridgecrest Landfill, 3301 W. Bowman Rd., 5 miles SW of Ridgecrest
Rosamond § Rosamond Disposal, 1731 Sierra Hwy § Mojave-Rosamond Landfill, 400 Silver Queen Rd., 5 miles south of Mojave
Shafter § Shafter-Wasco Landfill, 17621 Scofield Ave., 8 miles west of Shafter § City of Shafter Corporation Yard, 550 N. Shafter Ave., corner of E. Tulare & N. Shafter Ave
Taft § Taft Landfill, 13351 Elk Hills Road, 4 miles north of Taft & 1 mile north of Hwy 119 § City of Taft Collection Site, at Westside Waste, 274 E. Cedar Street § Alley collection for Taft City residents
Tehachapi § Tehachapi Landfill, 12001 E. Tehachapi Boulevard § Bear Valley Springs, behind Bear Valley Springs CSD Office § Golden Hills, Meadowbrook Park
Wasco § Shafter-Wasco Landfill, 17621 Scofield Ave., 8 miles west of Shafter § Vacant Lot, NE corner of 8th & "G" Street § Wasco Green Waste Site, 5201 7th St., 2 miles west of Wasco