SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- For San Franciscans holding onto their Christmas home decor and keeping holiday vibes alive, city officials are reminding residents to toss out Christmas trees by January 16. As part of the city's 38th Annual Christmas Tree Recycling program, from January 2 to January 16, R ecology will collect unadorned Christmas trees throughout the city and turn theminto compost. "Recycling your tree keeps holiday waste out of the landfill and turns it into organic compost for farms and gardens," said San Francisco Environment Department Director Tyrone Jue. "When residents set trees out bare and curbside, crews can turn them into a resource instead of trash." San Francisco Fire Department Chief Dean Crispen warned, "Dry trees can ignite in seconds. Recycling your tree early in January is a simple and vital step in reducing fire risk at home." Before and after: Sierra Nevada flush with snow following recent storms, satellite images show Recology collects about 590 tons of Christmas trees in San Francisco during the first two weeks of January. Residents are instructed to place trees next to curbside collection bins the night before your scheduled collection day. All decorations, tinsel, stands, and lights must be removed before pickup. (KRON4 Photo) "Your tree must be as bare, empty, and natural as the day you purchased it. That way, there will be no contaminants in the compost," city officials wrote. If your tree is more than 6 feet tall, cut it in half. Trees should not be placed in a plastic bag. Recology will transport trees to its organic composting facility near Vacaville, where workers feed the trees into a large grinder. The small pieces will be combined with other compostable material. "The annual Christmas tree collection and recycling program helps keep our neighborhoods clean and safe, reduces fire hazards, and keeps extra waste out of the landfill," said San Francisco Public Works Director Carla Short. ...read more read less