Albemarle County Christmas tree recycling details

It’s almost that time of year again!  The Albemarle County Parks & Recreation Department will host its annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program.

The program, which began in 1988, collects discarded Christmas trees which are then chipped into mulch and offered to the public at no cost. Since the program began, an average of 2300 trees have been collected annually, yielding over 110 cubic yards of mulch each year. Not only does this recycling program provide citizens a place to dispose of a potentially large and cumbersome item, it also reduces the impact on our landfill.

From December 26, 2017 through January 15, 2018, the County will operate the following seven sites daily, from 7:00 a.m. until dark, where residents can drop off their Christmas trees:

• Crozet Park in Crozet
• Greenwood Community Center in Greenwood
• Chris Greene Lake Park in Earlysville
• Darden Towe Park on Elks Drive
• Scottsville Community Center in Scottsville
• Walnut Creek Park off Old Lynchburg Road
• Rivanna Solid Waste Authority Recycling Center on McIntire Road* (Note: Sunday hours are 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.)
  *this location may be congested, please consider Darden Towe Park as an alternate location that is less congested and is better suited for large loads and contract haulers.

By combining forces with the Charlottesville Curb Side Pick-Up Program, the joint programs collected over 4200 trees last year, yielding approximately 201 cubic yards of mulch. According to the City Public Works Department, curbside pick-up for City residents will be the week of January 8, 2018. Trees must be at the curbside by 7:00 a.m.. Shortly after the City’s curbside pick-up, the County and City Parks & Recreation crews will team up to chip an estimated 2200 trees at Darden Towe Park.

As a reminder, this program is for Christmas trees only, please no yard waste. Both the County and City programs require that all decorations, stands and nails be removed from the Christmas trees. Free mulch will be available to citizens starting February 1, 2018, at Darden Towe Park.