Folsom drop-off site included as natural Christmas trees are mulched and reused
SACRAMENTO — As the holiday season comes to a close, Sacramento Municipal Utility District is once again offering residents an environmentally friendly way to dispose of their Christmas trees, partnering with local Cub Scouts to recycle trees and turn them into free wood chips for the community.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District, commonly known as SMUD, is teaming up with Cub Scout Pack 128 for the annual post-holiday recycling effort. On Jan. 3, Cub Scouts will collect trees from select neighborhoods and deliver them to SMUD, where the trees will be mulched at no cost. The resulting wood chips are later made available to SMUD residential customers through the utility’s free wood chip program.
The tree collection serves as one of the Cub Scouts’ primary fundraisers of the year, with residents in East Sacramento neighborhoods invited to donate in exchange for tree pickup. Proceeds from the effort help support the pack’s community service initiatives and educational programs throughout the year, while also keeping thousands of trees out of local landfills.
In addition to neighborhood pickups, community members may drop off natural Christmas trees at several designated recycling locations in the region, with Folsom included among the options. In Folsom, trees will be accepted at the Dan Russell Rodeo Arena at Rodeo Park, located at the end of Stafford Street, on Saturday, Jan. 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Other recycling locations include the SMUD Corporation Yard at 6100 Folsom Blvd. in Sacramento on Saturday, Jan. 3, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the North Area Recovery Station at 4450 Roseville Road on Saturday, Jan. 3, and Sunday, Jan. 4, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Kiefer Landfill at 12701 Kiefer Blvd. on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 3 and 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Elder Creek Recovery and Transfer at 8642 Elder Creek Road on Saturday, Jan. 3, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station at 8491 Fruitridge Road, open Monday through Saturday from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Residents are reminded that all decorations, including tinsel, lights, nails and tree stands, must be removed before recycling. Flocked trees will not be accepted. Sacramento County officials note that anyone recycling more than five trees must obtain a voucher and follow the county’s Holiday Tree Recycling Program requirements for free disposal.
The recycled trees ultimately support SMUD’s free wood chip program, which allows customers to use the material for landscaping projects, gardens, playgrounds and park spaces. Wood chips are available for pickup at the SMUD Corporation Yard on Folsom Boulevard Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Customers are asked to bring their own tools and containers or tarps to transport the material.
SMUD officials encourage residents to take advantage of the recycling program as a way to give Christmas trees a final purpose while supporting local youth programs and reducing landfill waste.
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