Sacramento County Sites Offer Free Christmas Tree Disposal

Christmas has come and gone, which means the beloved Noble Firs filling Fair Oaks living rooms will soon brown and shed their needles.

Sacramento County-sponsored Christmas tree pick-up services will not come to the Fair Oaks area, county officials said. It is recommended that Fair Oaks residents either cut their trees into pieces able to fit in their green waste disposal bins or drive them to the nearest disposal site. Flocked trees are not recyclable and should not be placed in green waste bins, county officials explain.

The county also points out that the busiest time for disposing trees will begin after the new year, most likely around Jan. 8. 

Two Sacramento County disposal sites are offering free Christmas tree drop-offs starting this week, with more opening next week, according to a county press release.

Residents can bring trees to the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station at 8491 Fruitridge Rd. (about 13 miles from Fair Oaks) and the Elder Creek Recovery and Transfer Station at 8642 Elder Creek Rd. (about 15 miles from Fair Oaks). The Fruitridge Road location has a limit of five trees per vehicle. Both sites are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

On Saturdays, the Fruitridge Road location is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Elder Creek Road location is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The two sites will also accept trees during those hours on Jan. 8.

Flocked trees are accepted, and residents are asked to remove tinsel, ornaments, lights, nails and stands beforehand.

On Jan. 8, the SMUD Corporation Yard at 6100 Folsom Blvd. will accept up to five trees per vehicle from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On Jan. 8 and 9, the Kiefer Landfill at 12701 Kiefer Blvd. will accept trees from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the North Area Recovery Station at 4450 Roseville Rd. will accept trees from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, see the Sacramento County announcement here (PDF file).