Along with the usual trash and recycling trucks making the rounds this week, a third truck has joined, traversing the city in search of a holiday staple, Christmas trees.

Between December 29 and January 9, Boston’s Department of Public Works picked up Christmas trees from sidewalks of homes all around the city.

After standing tall for a month and serving as a major beacon of the holiday season, the year’s Christmas trees are sent to SiteOne Landscape Supply on Boston’s American Legion Highway.

There, the recycled trees are shredded down and eventually made into black mulch. The mulch is used in gardens, lawns and other landscapes.

The tree collection program offers residents a free and environmentally friendly alternative to throwing trees in the trash.

It also allows residents to dispose of their trees easily right outside their homes.

Rather than sitting in a landfill and producing greenhouse gases, recycling of the trees into mulch ends up helping with beautification efforts.

“It’s a good story,” said Gerard Gorman, assistant superintendent of waste reduction for the Public Works Department. “There’s an end life for the trees.”

Gorman estimated that 1200 yards of Christmas trees are typically picked up in each week of collection. He predicted that this holiday season should produce a similar number of trees.

For trees to be picked up by the city, they needed to be stripped of ornaments, lights, stands and any other holiday decorations.

“You’d be surprised at what people actually leave out there with their tree,” said Gorman.

With all parts of the tree being recycled and nothing going to a landfill, the tree collection program aligns with Boston’s zero waste initiative.

“Christmas tree collection diverts material away from the regular trash stream,” said Gorman.

Throughout the year, city residents can leave leaf and yard waste for pickup to be composted.

John Qualters of SiteOne Landscape Supply said the city has done a good job in terms of the quality of trees that have been delivered.

“The process has been excellent,” said Qualters. “They’ve made sure most lights and wires are removed.”

The process isn’t rocket science, said Qualters. The trees come in by the truckload. In the spring, they are recycled.

“We’ve been doing it for years and it’s been pretty successful,” he said.