How to recycle/dispose of christmas trees

Curbside collection: Weekly - recycling
County facilities accepting christmas trees:
 Solid Waste Transfer Station

How to prepare your tree | Artificial tree disposal | Wreaths/Roping |Using "recycled" Christmas trees | Christmas tree recycling poster

How to prepare your tree

Christmas trees will be collected on your recycling day with the rest of your blue bin recyclables from December 26, 2008 through February 6, 2009. Make sure your Christmas tree is at the curb by 7 a.m.

Christmas trees are given a new life after being composted or chipped for mulch, so keep the tree in a natural state.

• Please remove the stand and all decorations, including lights, ornaments, tinsel, and garland. Be sure there is no metal attached to the tree.
• Trees cannot be left at the curb in plastic bags.
• "Live" Christmas trees with root balls and artificial trees cannot be collected as part of this recycling program.

After January 30, 2009, you may still recycle your tree through our curbside yard trim collection. Please note that the tree must then be cut into smaller pieces.

Residents of apartments and condominiums should check with their property manager or representative for specific recycling instructions.

You can also recycle branches and needles at home by placing them under trees and shrubs as a temporary winter mulch -- or chop them up and add them to your compost pile!

How to dispose of your artificial tree

If you have Montgomery County-provided trash collection service

If you have Montgomery County-provided trash service, please call us at 240-777-6410 to request a bulk trash pickup for your artificial Christmas tree. [ Bulk trash details: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/bulktrash ]

If you have privately-provided trash service

If you have privately-provided trash service because you or your homeowners' association have direct contract with a company, please check with your collection company for instructions.

If your artificial tree is still in usable condition

If your artificial Christmas tree is still in usable condition, consider offering it to a fellow community member on your local Freecycle Network group.

Wreaths/Roping

Wreaths and roping are typically bound together with wire. Wire could damage our shredding equipment. And, pieces of wire would become "contaminants" in mulch.

If you are able to separate the greens from their wire, you may bag or bundle them as yard trim, and then set them out for collection on your recycling day. Otherwise, please dispose of your wreaths and roping as trash.

Using "recycled" Christmas trees

Collected Christmas trees are shredded, resulting in a very good quality mulch. Therefore, January and February are excellent months in which to stock up - for free! - at Neighborhood Mulch Preserves.

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This information last updated 1/27/2009.