Tree-cycle courtesy of local Girl Scouts

It’s never too early to think about what to do with the Christmas tree once you take it down. The best idea, let the local Girl Scouts pick it up and recycle it for you.

For the eleventh year in a row, local Sonoma and Glen Ellen Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Girl Scout troops will work together to provide this service to residents while simultaneously fundraising for their troops. The Girl Scouts have partnered with Sonoma County Waste Management, Sonoma Garbage and Redwood Waste to get the trees collected in an environmentally friendly way so they can be ground into mulch and compost to help other plants grow.

Fliers with detailed information will be distributed to homes soon. Trees will be collected on the weekends after the holiday: December 26 (by appointment only) and January 1 and 2, and January 8 and 9. Girl Scouts will pick up Christmas trees in all Sonoma and Glen Ellen neighborhoods from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. To participate, make sure to have your tree on the curb by 10 a.m. and leave $5 for trees up to six feet and $10 for trees over six feet in an envelope under the doormat. Your donation is tax deductible.

To help the scouts, please be sure to:
Remove lights, tinsel, ornaments and stands from their tree
Do not place trees inside plastic bags
Flocked trees cannot be composted and will not be collected
Girl Scouts cannot recycle Christmas wreaths or garland.
Place your whole tree at the curb the night before or no later than 10 a.m. on your selected date.

Place your tax-deductible donation in an envelope under your front doormat

The donation proceeds will be used by Girl Scout troops to fund their activities and trips. Checks should be made out to Girl Scouts. A tax-deductable receipt will be left for you when the Girl Scouts pick up your tree.

If you don’t get a flier, call the Service Unit hotline at 576.6005 and leave a message with your address, phone number and the day you would like to have your tree picked up.