The Christmas tree: for many Californians, it is the symbol of the holiday season. It comes in many sizes and shapes -- from a table-top trimming to a ceiling-scraping giant, from fir to pine, from live to aluminum.

Regardless of type, the Christmas tree has long been a symbol of joy and glad tidings; gifts seem to grow at its base.

But what happens to this arboreal harbinger of goodwill after all the presents are opened, the feast is finished, and members of the family have each gone their own and separate ways? You may be happy to know that your Christmas tree's useful life doesn't need to come to an end once the ornaments are carefully packed away.

Every year, more than 40,000 tons of Christmas trees require handling at the end of the holiday season in California. Most communities throughout the state are beginning to recognize that the final resting place for cut Christmas trees isn't in the state's burgeoning landfills. A growing awareness of environmental issues, coupled with a mandate to reduce the disposal of still-valuable resources, has convinced growing numbers of California cities and counties to plan Christmas tree recovery programs that give old Tannenbaum a second life.

The California Integrated Waste Management Act requires local governments to reduce solid waste disposal by 50 percent by the year 2000. New waste prevention and recycling programs are being implemented in almost every California community. Unlike most of these efforts, a Christmas tree recovery program is not a year-round effort. The trees are only collected during a specific time period, ranging from a single day or weekend, to as long as a month.

On top of that, these seasonal programs often involve folks not usually associated with waste management issues. This creates unique challenges and opportunities as local agencies, businesses, special interest groups, and citizens are all brought together in a collective effort to reduce wastes during the holidays.

The potential market for your fading Christmas tree may seem slim, but secondary uses are actually quite plentiful. After chipping and shredding, the trees can be used as: (1) mulch for water conservation and weed control; (2) erosion and/or dust control on hiking trails and bridle paths; (3) additives in composting operations; or (4) alternative fuel in special power generation facilities called "biomass" co-generation facilities.

Some communities have even used whole trees in wildlife habitat restoration projects by piling them around watering holes to provide shelter for birds, or by sinking them into lakes as a haven for small fish.

Local public works programs, such as park maintenance and public building landscaping, may also be able to utilize the trees as a resource. Community gardens are yet another potential market for mulch as well as whole trees, the latter serving as trellises for vining plants such as beans or peas.

The rewards for participating in Christmas tree recovery programs are varied. One of the most popular drop-off programs in Santa Barbara County in recent years was at a site where each resident received a small cactus for bringing in a tree.

Christmas tree recovery programs are just one part of broader efforts to reduce holiday waste. For instance, one way to prevent waste is to purchase a living Christmas tree or a reusable artificial tree. Either one of these approaches eliminates the need for post-holiday tree waste management. Though many argue there is a direct correlation between consumerism and economic health, a little forethought on the part of holiday shoppers and home entertainers reduces unnecessary waste without adversely impacting the local economy. Gifts of durable goods in sensible packaging, the use of washable plates at parties, and donations of used or unwanted clothes and toys, are all examples of simple holiday waste reduction ideas that provide boons to long-term economic and environmental health.

Remembering the ethics of reduce, reuse and recycle during traditional times of celebration reinforces a community's waste reduction efforts and helps California meet its resource conservation goals.