Across the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen there are numerous locations to drop off your clean natural Christmas tree. Please remove all tinsel, fake snow and ornaments. Christmas trees collected will be chipped and given new life as animal bedding or compost.
Several communities in the RDOS have Christmas Tree collection programs:
• By donation, the Penticton Fire Department will be collecting trees from December 28 to January 18. All donations received will go to the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund and Muscular Dystrophy charities. Penticton residents can call 250-490-2315 to register for collection. City of Penticton residents can also drop off natural Christmas Trees at Fire Hall #2 at 285 Dawson Ave from December 28 to January 31.
• District of Summerland residents can call the fire hall at 250-494-7211 ext 3 to request collection of their Christmas trees. Students from Summerland Secondary will be out collecting trees on Sunday, January 8 and Sunday, January 15. Donations for this service will go to the Summerland Secondary Dry Grad.
• Town of Oliver residents can drop off Christmas trees at the south gate of the Oliver Public Works yard at 34765 91st Street. This service runs from December 26 to Friday, January 6. Collection of trees by local Air Cadets.
• Town of Osoyoos residents can drop off Christmas trees adjacent to the washroom at Kinsmen Park (on boulevard) or at the Northwest Corner of the parking lot below Sun Bowl Arena sign until Friday, January 13.
• The Naramata Citizens Association will be collecting Christmas trees on Tuesday, January 17. Clean Christmas trees placed out at your regular garbage pick-up spot will be collected by volunteers. Cotter’s Bin Rentals is assisting in this year’s collection.
All landfills in the RDOS will accept clean wooden Christmas trees free of charge. Landfills can accept, free of charge, up to 500 kgs (1,100 pounds) per load of yard or clean wood waste. Landfills within the RDOS include Campbell Mountain (Penticton), Summerland, Osoyoos, Oliver, Princeton, Keremeos and Okanagan Falls landfills.
The RDOS does not recommend burning Christmas trees as they are too moist to burn cleanly. Any tinsel, fake snow or ornaments left on the tree will create added pollution. Fine particulates from smoke have been linked to respiratory and heart diseases.
If you have any questions, please contact the RDOS Solid Waste Department at 250-490-4129, toll free 1-877-610-3737 ext. 4129, e-mail info@rdos.bc.ca or visit www.rdos.bc.ca.