Both Albuquerque and Rio Rancho are offering Christmas Tree recycling, and Albuquerque also has tree light recycling. For more than 20 years, PNM vegetation crews have donated their equipment and time for this annual event.
CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE DETAILS
The Solid Waste Management Department, Parks and Recreation and PNM will recycle real Christmas trees and Christmas lights for free at three separate locations in Albuquerque beginning Jan. 2, 2016. Trees must be free of all ornaments, lights and tinsel and no artificial trees will be accepted.
PNM Vegetation Management crews and Parks and Recreation staff will grind trees into chips, which can then be used as mulch to provide a better growing environment for plants and landscapes. Residents can pick up the freshly ground wood chips for use in their home landscapes free of charge while supplies last.
After dropping off their Christmas tree, residents may deposit their Christmas tree lights into marked containers for recycling. Christmas tree lights should never be placed into the blue recycling carts that residents use at their homes.
Drop Off Locations
Trees and lights may be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 2 through Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, at:
- Montessa Park Convenience Center, 3512 Los Picaros SE, (505) 873-6607
- Eagle Rock Convenience Center, 6301 Eagle Rock NE, (505) 857-8318
- Ladera Golf Course, Coors and Ladera NW, (505) 836-4449
Prepare Your Tree
Please remove all bags, tree stands, decorations and lights from trees before dropping them off to be mulched.
Limit 5 trees per resident, no commercial customers.
RIO RANCHO/SANDOVAL COUNTY DETAILS
Residents of Rio Rancho and Sandoval County will be able to have cut Christmas trees recycled for free courtesy of PNM, the city of Rio Rancho’s Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful Division (KRRB), and Sandoval County.
From Jan. 2-15, 2016, cut trees that have had all decorations, tinsel, tree spikes, and stands removed can be brought to:
—Rio Rancho Sports Complex, 3501 High Resort Blvd. (can be dropped off at any time)
—Sandoval County Landfill, 2708 Iris Road (can be dropped off between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday)
Commercial quantities of Christmas trees will not be accepted and residents are responsible for unloading their trees
–Free mulch available at the Rio Rancho Sports Complex on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last; mulching will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and residents are responsible for loading their mulch
Residents are urged to return Christmas trees back to the environment by recycling. Mulch generated from Christmas trees can be used to provide a better growing environment for plants, city parks, and home landscapes. Mulch helps retain moisture in soil, acts as an insulating blanket to protect soil against temperature extremes, and reduces weed growth. Recycling Christmas trees allows the tree to complete its natural life cycle by nurturing soil so other living things can grow.