Confusion on Disposing of Christmas Trees

A number of El Cerrito residents have been scratching their heads about how to get rid of Christmas trees this year.

In years past, you just left the tree at the curb on your green waste pick-up day, and the folks from East Bay Sanitary picked it up.

This year, however, the latest bills from East Bay Sanitary say on the front page that the firm is "now requesting that Christmas trees be cut down and placed in your green waste cart for collection."

The back of the bill, however, contains the old instructions: "Christmas trees will be picked up free of charge. Trees must be placed at the curb by 6:00 A.M."

And at least one resident was spotted taking a tree to the city's Recycling Center.

The president of East Bay Sanitary, Mark Figone, told Patch today, Thursday, that the correct policy is the one on the front of the bill, which is to request that customers put the trees in the green waste bins, by cutting them if necessary.

"If they cannot (place the trees in the bins) because of age, physical limitations or whatever, we do still intend to pick up the trees at the curb."

If you leave the tree at the curb and it doesn't get picked up, it will be picked up the following week, Figone said.

Flocked trees cannot be placed in the bins or picked up, the firm said.

The reason for the discrepancy between the front of the bill and the back of bill is that the bill forms are ordered in bulk with the back page pre-printed, Figone said. The front page contains updated information.

The reason for the new Christmas tree policy, he said, is that at the beginning of this year, East Bay Sanitary introduced a new, fully automated truck to the green waste pick-up routes, so that there are now two trucks – one old and one new one picking up green waste. Loading trees by hand into the new truck is not possible because, unlike the old truck, the opening is at the top of the vehicle and the green waste is dumped in solely by a long mechanical arm, Figone said.

If you leave a tree by the curb on a day that the new truck is servicing your street, then you'll have to wait until the following week when the old truck comes by to pick it up, he said.

City Environmental Analyst Garth Schultz, who supervises the Recycling Center, urged residents not to leave uncollected trees on the curb for an entire week but to bring them back inside until the next pick-up day.

And, Schultz said, the Recycling Center does not accept trees. It hopes to in the future, but does not do so now, he said.

Figone said the new tree disposal policy could change again next year. "We're going to rethink this next year in advance," he said. "This isn't necessarily going to be the policy next year."

East Bay Sanitary can be reached at 510-237-4321 in case of questions.