When to recycle Christmas trees in New Orleans metro

• New Orleans: Before 5am on Jan. 8. They will be picked up through Jan. 13.
• French Quarter: Before 4am on Jan. 11.
• Downtown Development District: Before 4am on Jan. 11.
• Unincorporated Jefferson Parish and Jean Lafitte: The morning of Jan. 10. Trees will be picked up through Jan. 13. Fill out this form to expedite your pickup.

Zoom in: There are complaints every year that trees aren't picked up or that they are picked up with the regular trash.

• New Orleans officials say they have reviewed the feedback and will make sure there's "adequate equipment and resources" for 2024 pickups. Call 311 if your tree is missed.

The big picture: New Orleans has had a Christmas tree recycling program for more than 25 years. The trees go to the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge.

• The goal is to collect 10,000 trees this year.

• The trees are collected, sorted, bundled and dropped by helicopter in targeted areas in the refuge through a partnership with the Louisiana Army National Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Meanwhile, Jefferson Parish's trees are used to build wave-dampening fences in the water within the Barataria Basin.

What she's saying: "Our wetlands are our first line of protection from storm surge and hurricanes," said Cheryn Robles, the environmental affairs administrator at New Orleans' Office of Resilience and Sustainability.

• "The Christmas tree recycling program is a great way for residents to get involved in the fight to restore our coast."

Go deeper:

• Learn more about New Orleans' Christmas tree recycling program.
• Learn more about Jefferson Parish's program.