'Treecycling' comes after holidays

When the holidays are over, don’t forget to treecycle your "live" Christmas tree. That's the wish of Pierce County recycling officials.
County residents who subscribe to yard-waste collection service can place their unflocked tree in their container. Flocked trees can't be recycled and must be disposed as garbage.
Residents may also recycle their tree free of charge at Pierce County’s transfer stations. Locations are available at piercecountywa.org/treecycle.                                                                                                                                                                                                

To "treecycle," as officials call it, remove the tree stand, tinsel, decorations and any nails or staples. Place the tree in your yard waste container for pick up on your regularly scheduled collection day. The tree must fit into the closed container, so cut the tree into pieces if necessary. If your tree isn’t in the cart, you may be charged for the additional pick up.
Recycled trees "are composted along with the rest of the yard waste collected in Pierce County,” said Sheryl Rhinehart, outreach coordinator for the county's Planning and Public Works Department. “The finished product is called Cascade Compost, a soil amendment you can buy locally and use in your own garden.”
Details about the availability of tree recycling is available from garbage service providers.