On Friday, Mayor Latoya Cantrell issued a statement reminding residents that New Orleans will continue to recycle Christmas trees to promote wetland restoration and to protect Louisiana’s coast.
Last year, more than 8,000 trees were collected across Orleans Parish. They were then airlifted by the National Guard and placed into the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge to create new marshland habitat.
All Orleans Parish residents are encouraged to place Christmas trees by the curb before 5 a.m. on the second collection day between Jan. 10-12, 2019 if they’re served by Richard’s Disposal and Metro Services. French Quarter or DDD residents who are served by Empire Services need to have their trees on the curb before 4 a.m. on Jan. 9, 2019.
Please remember that only unflocked, natural trees are eligible for recycling and must be free of all tinsel, ornaments, stands, and lights. Trees that do not meet these requirements will be collected and taken to the landfill rather than being recycling. Additionally, please do not place the trees in the neutral ground, as this slows the collection process.
The New Orleans Department of Sanitation, Office of Resilience and Sustainability, Empire Services, Metro Services, Richards Disposal, and Leaaf Environmental are all working together to facilitate the collection, sorting, and bundling of trees, which will then be sent to or placed in coastal zones.
The tree recycling project is funded by the New Orleans Office of Resilience and Sustainability.