Several ways to recycle Christmas trees in Sonoma County

Stripped of ornaments, lights, tinsel and holiday cheer, scores of green conifers lay in a paved parking lot at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds under a gray, rainy sky Sunday.

Nine days after Christmas and three days into the new year, the discarded trees - still emitting a redolent piny aroma - were awaiting a date with the grinder that would give them new use as valuable compost and mulch.

Corey Moranda of Santa Rosa hoisted the latest arrival, a Douglas fir, high overhead and heaved it onto the pile from the bed of his father’s Ford pickup.

Moranda said he would miss the tree “a little bit” because it “makes the house smell good.”

The fir, set up in their home two weeks before Christmas, was dried out, said his father, Tony Moranda.

“It starts making a mess in the house,” Corey agreed.

As they have for the past 15 years, the Morandas bought their tree at the temporary retail lot on the fairgrounds and returned it to the recycling site next to the Jockey Club. While the San Francisco 49ers were closing out a disappointing season with a rare win down in Santa Clara, a stream of folks made what might be considered the final act of the holidays known for mirth.

Tony Moranda noted that seasonal tidings of comfort and joy, jingle bells and merry gentlemen tend to conclude abruptly. “Then it’s back to business,” he said.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes, but evergreen boughs had been part of winter solstice celebrations by the ancient Egyptians, the Romans and the Celts of Northern Europe, according to historians.

There are now 25 million to 30 million Christmas trees sold each year in the United States and more than 4,000 local tree recycling programs, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.

Sonoma County residents have several options for recycling their trees. In Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Cotati and the unincorporated area, whole trees - unflocked only - may be placed next to yard waste containers for curbside pickup on regular collection days for the next week or two.

On other pickup days, trees may be cut to fit inside containers, according to the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency.

Residents also can call 565-3333 before Friday to arrange for pickup by a nonprofit organization in their area.

There are free drop-off locations, including the fairgrounds, in most cities and in the unincorporated area. For details on tree pickup options, go to www.recyclenow.org.

Brian and Lacie Wright of Sebastopol dropped off their Noble fir Sunday at the fairgrounds, more than five weeks after it went up the day after Thanksgiving.

“She’s done,” Brian Wright said of the tree.

Lacie Wright said it was “kinda sad” to see it go.

They had such a busy holiday season - punctuated by their daughter’s birthday Dec. 7 and Lacie’s Dec. 22 - that the tree never got fully decorated.

A Santa Rosa man who said he goes by j. robert called out “Timberrrrr!” as his 9-foot pine tumbled from the top of his minivan.

Buying a pine was a big mistake, he said, because the needles are too sharp. He cut it himself from a tree farm near Sebastopol two weeks before Christmas and the trunk was so large he had to buy a new tree stand. Then it fell over twice, damaging some ornaments and prompting him to tie it to a wall after the second incident.

Olivia Ellison, 12, his girlfriend’s daughter - who wanted a 20-foot tree - helped apply the ornaments, lights and tinsel.

Olivia said she got some neat presents, including a vegan faux fur jacket, but her favorite gifts were the food, clothes and presents the family donated to the YWCA women’s shelter.

“Those were the best,” she said.

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner.