How to dispose of Christmas Trees in Culver City

Christmas Day has come and gone, and now people around the country must figure out what to do with their Christmas trees.

The City of Culver City offers several cost-free avenues for residents to dispose of their cleaned Christmas trees. Disposal boxes for bare Christmas trees — free of lights, ornaments, or stands — are available at the following parks until Jan. 31.

• Fox Hills Park
• Syd Kronenthal Park
• Veterans Park
• Culver West Park (ends Jan. 10)

Residents can also dispose of their trees without leaving their homes. Trees can fit in green waste bins regularly picked up by the city, but those that are too large to fit must be cut so they can be placed inside. Trees left in the disposal boxes will be recycled with the rest of the city's Green Waste at the Crown Recycling Facility in Sun Valley, which is managed by waste and recycling collection company Athens Services.

For those who have difficulty with the physical strain of handling their tree, several services in the Los Angeles area can help. Residents of Culver City can call junk-hauling organizations like LoadUp and 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, but there is also a specialized organization, California Christmas Tree Pickup, which will pick up trees from inside the home and turn them into mulch.

California Christmas Tree Pickup is a family-owned business which has served Los Angeles County for over 30 years, helping residents dispose of their Christmas Trees in an easy, clean, and environmentally beneficial manner. Owner Charlie English and his business will be picking up trees every day in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego County, and the Valley until Jan. 22.

A portion of the proceeds from tree pickups is donated to Tree People, a nonprofit that English has loved since taking an ecology tour as a kid. Specifically, English donates to support the planting of trees in nearby mountains.

“[Tree People] goes in after wildfires and plants native species,” English told Culver Crescent.

Prices start as low as $25 for outdoor pickup of the smallest trees, but can vary widely depending on factors that affect the job's difficulty. These factors include the tree's size, location, whether or not a tree is flocked or covered in fake snow, and whether climbing stairs would be required to reach it, among others.

“It’s a complicated pricing schedule,” English said. “If the tree’s outside on the curb, we give a discount. If it’s inside or if there are stairs or it’s blocked, we charge extra.”

Customers of California Christmas Tree Pickup need only remove their ornaments from the tree, and English’s team takes care of the rest. They lay down a tarp and use a vacuum to suck the water out of the stand to ensure a clean removal. Stands can also be removed from the home, but it is an option many choose not to pursue.

“Most people want their stand back,” English said, “because they get credit at the tree lot.”

Some taller trees may require additional cutting, which English says they are able to do “neatly and quietly.” The trees are then taken to a Green recycling facility, where they are turned into mulch for the city of Los Angeles to use for local planting.

Interested residents can schedule one of several four-hour time slots — Morning (8 a.m. to Noon), Afternoon (12 p.m. to 4 p.m.), and Night (4 p.m. to 8 p.m.) — every day until Jan. 22 by calling (310) 584-6589. For more information on California Christmas Tree Recycling, click here.