In December alone, residents of Metro Vancouver will generate over 300,000 tonnes of garbage. The best way to reduce our garbage this holiday season is not to create it in the first place.

Here are some ways you can help reduce your waste this holiday season:

• The easiest thing is to rethink what you buy and don’t be so quick to throw stuff away.
• Give great gifts, but don’t buy garbage. When trying to decide between two gifts, choose the one with the least amount of packaging.
• Give the gift of time. Offer your services or expertise as a present. Make dinner, knit a sweater or plan a special day out.
• Give an experience. Dinner, tickets to the movies or a hockey game, or passes to the local skating rink.
• Give a gift that lasts. Pass on a family heirloom or start your own tradition.
• Give a group gift. Pool resources with a few people to give a high quality gift.
• Give a gift wrapped in newspaper. Reuse a ribbon to fancy it up.
Check out Burnaby's Holiday Waste Reduction Guide for ways to reduce waste this Holiday Season!
• Check out Metro Vancouver's Garbage Bag Christmas Tree Video on YouTube.
• Visit the Recycling Council of BC's website, www.rcbc.bc.ca or call the Recycling Hotline at (604)732-9253 for more Holiday Waste Reduction information.

Residential Tree Collection

Curbside Collection

Place your Christmas tree at the curb on your regular scheduled collection day by 7:00am. Christmas trees will be collected the week of January 11th, 2010. Do not place trees in yard waste container. Trees over 6' (feet) must be cut in half.

Multi-Family Residents (For complexes that receives Burnaby garbage & recycling service only)Place Christmas trees in a designated location accessible to collection crews. Trees will only be collected on January 4th and 5th, 2010

Drop Off - Burnaby's Still Creek Yard Waste Depot will accept Christmas Trees free of charge.

Charity Chipping Events - Call the BC Recycling Hotline (604)732-9253 for a list of charity tree chipping events.

Tree Recycling Tips

• Remove all ornaments, tinsel and lights
• Do not bag or put your tree in your yard waste container
• No artificial trees are accepted
• Please note, trees sprayed with snow foam can't be recycled