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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Christmas is over. Here’s how to get rid of your tree

Isaiah Hong, left, and Noah Morrison, both 16, haul a Christmas tree to a disposal container at the corner of 14th Avenue and Bernard Street on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017. The scouts were raising money by asking Spokane residents for $5 to dispose of their trees. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
By Chad Sokol chadso@spokesman.com(509) 459-5047

The city of Spokane is offering free curbside pickup of discarded Christmas trees.

Residents who celebrated the holiday with fresh-cut trees can leave them beside their trash and recycling bins on regularly scheduled pickup days.

The city began offering the free service on Thursday and will continue through Jan. 10, according to a news release.

City crews will not pick up artificial trees or “flocked” trees – those decorated with a synthetic powder to appear dusted with snow.

Real trees left at the curb must have trunks no larger than 3 inches in diameter, and they must be placed at least 3 feet from trash and recycling bins.

All decorations must be removed, and trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half. Loose branches no longer than 6 feet may be bundled beside the tree at the curb.

Trees collected at the curb will be chipped and composted at the Barr-Tech composting facility in Lincoln County.

City and county residents also can take their undecorated, unflocked trees to the Waste-to-Energy Facility at 2900 S. Geiger Blvd, the Spokane Valley Transfer Station at 3941 N. Sullivan Road or the North County Transfer Station at 22123 Elk-Chattaroy Road.

The Waste-to-Energy Facility is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The transfer stations are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The facilities will be closed on New Year’s Day.

Trees taken to the facilities will be composted and subject to charges for “clean green disposal,” the city said.

“Residents also should watch for opportunities to dispose of trees and help a good cause,” the city said. “Scouts, school groups and other charitable organizations will dispose of trees for a donation.”

The city said residents should consider how they dispose of holiday packaging materials, too.

Gift wrap – not including metallic foil paper and cellophane – can be placed in the blue recycling bins, along with cardboard boxes and wrapping paper rolls.

Styrofoam, plastic bags, plastic wrap, gift bags and tissue paper are not recyclable and should go in the brown refuse bins.

The curbside collection schedule will run one day late through next week. Residents who usually have their waste picked up on Friday, for example, should expect service on Saturday instead.

For more information, residents can call the city at 311 or (509) 755-2489.