Scroll down this page for local District of Columbia recycling and responsible disposal options for holiday waste, from Christmas trees and wreathes, to lights, ornaments, wrapping and packaging. Many towns and cities offer curbside collection, even for Christmas trees. Counties and unicorporated areas typically have a number or drop-off locations.
Christmas trees are usually colllected from December 26th through
the first 2 or 3 weeks in January. Whether your tree is picked up from
your curb,
or you drop it off, be sure to remove all
remove all lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments, nails, stands, other
NON-Organic decorative materials and other materials that are not part
of the original tree. This includes tree stands also. Flocked trees are
occasionally accepted (call to verify), but not artificial trees. Large trees (larger
than the standard 6 - 7 ft tree) may need to be cut in half to
be acceptable by your
curbside garbage hauler.
The trees and wreathes are usually chipped and made into a mulch which is often made available, free to city or county residents.
Recycling other items:
Always follow the links (usually the blue, underlined name of the city or county) below for updated information, as these agencies often wait until the last minute to change dates or update their information. If your area is not specifically mentioned below, call your trash collection agency and ask!
Washington, D.C.
- Holiday trees (as the District of Columbia government is calling a Christmas Tree) and wreaths will be collected from the curb in front of your
home between December 26 and the last Friday in January and will be composted.
Contact 311 to schedule your collection. Holiday trees and greenery in the nation's capital will be collected from Department of
Public Works-serviced households. Place them outside where your trash is normally collected. They will be
composted. Residents in DPW-serviced households should place their
trees and greenery where their trash and recyclables are normally
collected. Trees and greenery collected during these three weeks
(and those brought to the Fort Totten and Benning Road transfer
stations) will be composted and made available to residents for
free. Please remove all ornaments and lights; do not put trees and
greenery in a bag. After the dates above, place holiday trees and
greenery where your trash is collected. They will be picked up with
your trash as space in our trucks permits. Unfortunately, trees and
greenery collected after the dates above will not be composted.
As a
reminder, apartment and condominium buildings with four or more
units are required to provide their tenants with solid waste
collections (this includes leaves and holiday trees/greenery).
Please do not put the trees in plastic or cloth bags. Trees
collected through the dates above (and those brought to the Fort Totten
and Benning Road transfer stations) will be chipped and composted.
Any trees not collected by the dates above will be picked up as space in
the trash trucks allow over the following weeks.
.
Click here for locations, updated information and more details.
You can also drop off Christmas trees through the end of February at
