Christmas tree recycling

Scroll down this page for local Eastern Pennsylvania 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,Grinding Christmas trees into mulch 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!

Eastern Pennsylvania: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2024

Eastern Pennsylvania

  • Philadelphia Christmas Tree Recycling - Christmas Tree Recycling Program
    The program will run for first two full weeks in January - from Tuesday after New Year's Day to Saturday in mid-January (8a-6p Monday-Saturday, NO Sundays) at the City's six Sanitation Convenience Centers. Residents may drop off their trees for recycling starting Monday after New Year's Day at any of the following Streets Department Sanitation Convenience Centers Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm:
    3901 N Delaware Avenue
    2601 West Glenwood Avenue
    3033 South 63rd Street
    Domino Lane and Umbria Street
    State Road and Ashburner Street
    5100 Grays Avenue
     Please remember to remove metal bases, lights and ornaments before dropping off your tree. These types of materials get tangled in the machine and put our recycling workers in danger.
    There will be no curbside collection of Christmas trees for recycling purposes. For those households that cannot participate in the recycling program, trees placed at the curb will be picked up on regularly scheduled collection day as trash. As always, the program is for citizens who receive City collected trash and recycling services
    There are also these other tree collection events - ONLY ONE THIS YEAR!
    Organization Drop-off location Drop-off dates and times Donation amount
    East Mt. Airy Neighbors Historic Upsala Mansion, 6430 Germantown Ave. Sunday, January 2, 2022
    12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
    $5.00
    South Philly Green Guerin Recreation Center, 16th and Wolf Streets Sunday, January 2, 2022
    12 p.m.-3 p.m.
    $5.00
    Passyunk Square Civic Association Columbus Square Park, corner of 13th and Wharton Saturday, January 8, 2022
    9 a.m.-3 p.m.
    $5.00
    Lower Moyamensing Civic Association (LoMo) South Philadelphia High School parking lot, 2101 S. Broad St. Saturday, January 8, 2022
    9 a.m.-12 p.m.
    and
    Sunday, January 9, 2022
    12 p.m.-3 p.m.
    $5.00
    UC Green Clark Park, near 43rd and Chester Saturday, January 8, 2022
    10 a.m.-12 p.m.
    $6-$20
    UC Green Malcolm X Park at Baltimore Ave. Saturday, January 8, 2022
    12 p.m.-2 p.m.
    $6-$20
    Philly Goat Project The Farm at Awbury Arboretum, 6336 Ardleigh St. (at Duval) Two Saturdays,
    Jan. 7, 2023 and
    Jan. 21, 2023
    12 pm to 3 pm (rain dates: Sundays, Jan. 8 and Jan. 22)
    $20.00
    South Philly Green Manton Green, 17th and Manton Streets Sunday, January 9, 2022
    9 a.m.-3 p.m.
    $5.00
    Drop-off:
    The following groups offer pick-up services for $15-$20 per Christmas tree:
  • Allentown, PA - Christmas Trees and yard waste are collected by the Bureaus of Streets and Recycling & Solid Waste on the second and third full weeks of January on your recycling night. NO plastic bags, decorations or tree stands. Take trees and other yard waste to the Main Yard Waste Site. Click here or call the Hotline 610-437-8729 for schedule.
  • Berks County, PA - Phone: 610-478-6362. Email: [email protected]. Christmas tree recycling drop off locations:
    Berks Leisure Area, 1901 Tulpehocken Road, Wyomissing, PA 19601. Click here for a list of local municipalities drop off locations .
    City of Reading City Park - 11th & Washington Reading Pa 610-655-6236.
    Exeter Twp. Trout Run Exeter, Pa 610-779-5950.
    Kutztown Borough Railroad St. Kutztown, Pa 610-683-6131.
    Muhlenberg Township 61 & Reading Crest Blvd. Reading, Pa 610-929-4727.
    South Heidelberg Township Point Rd. Wernersville Pa 610-678-9652.
  • Bucks County, PA -
    Milford, PA - (215) 536-2090. Drop off at the Township recycling center, 2050 Krammes Rd. Quakertown 18951.
    Bensalem Township: Residents can leave their Christmas trees curbside on Monday of the second week on January. Waste Management workers will pick them up.
    Buckingham Township: Bring your tree to the parking lot of the Buckingham Township Water Department Building located at 4124 Mechanicsville Road. .
    Doylestown Borough: Residents can drop their trees off at the borough public works yard at the foot of Harvey Avenue.
    Doylestown Township: schedule a pick up to recycle your Christmas tree, by email [email protected]. by January 2nd. Trees will be picked up on a few days to a week later. You may also drop it off at the township building before mif- February
    Horsham Township: Usually the first full week in January (some as early as January 3rd). Call your trash hauler for tree collection dates.Evergreen Waste Solutions , Allied Waste, Chest-Mont, Arthur Moore, Waste Management, G & C Waste
    Levittown: Middletown Township is accepting Christmas trees to be chipped and used as mulch in parks. Trees can be dropped off between January 3 and January 24 at Middletown Community Center, located at 2140 Trenton Road in Levittown or Middletown Community Park, drop off at 2600 Langhorne-Yardley Road, Langhorne. All ornaments and tinsel must be removed from the tree.
    Lower Moreland: The Public Works Department will pick up trees on the first 3 Mondays in January.
    Warminster: Recycle your Christmas tree as part of the Parks and Recreation chipping program. Trees will be chipped and used for park trails and if there are leftovers, the community will be able to use the remains for landscaping purposes. All decorations must be removed from the tree before dropping it off at the WREC, located at 1101 Little Lane, or Warminster Community Park, located at 300 Veterans Way. The chipping program runs from January 2nd through the last Saturday in January.
    Warwick Township: Now through the start of February, residents can bring their live Christmas trees to the Guinea Lane public works facility for recycling. The trees should be free of all stands, lights, tinsel, ornaments, wires, plastic and other materials.
  • Cheltenham, PA - Phone: 215-635-4600. Christmas Tree collections are scheduled for East of Old York Road and West of Old York Road for mid January. They wait until the very last minute to update their website, so follow the link to see the current dates. Remove all decorations from the tree before placing it at the curb. Cheltenham Township Public Works crews will collect residents' used Christmas trees on two days in January. Residents must remove all decorations before placing the trees at the curb. For more information, call the Public Works Department at 215-635-4600.Crews will collect trees placed at the curb from residences:
    Christmas Tree Collections should be (it's missing from their website this year)
    Westside Collection the first week in January (around January 7th)
    Eastside Collection the second week in January, around January 14
    Westside Collection the third or fourth week in January, around January 28
    Eastside Collection the beginning of February,
  • Chester County, PA - Chester Borough: (610) 269-0344. The Borough Public Works Dept. will pick up Christmas trees on Tuesdays and Thursdays (weather permitting), January 2nd through January 31st
    OR YOU MAY DROP OFF - Borough residents may also drop off Christmas trees near the Public Works Building. Look for the sign that says Christmas Tree Drop Off. DO NOT PUT TREES IN THE YARD WASTE DUMPSTER.
    Make sure all decorations, wire, tinsel, and stands are removed.
    Chester County Landfill
    Route 322W, Honey Brook, PA
    7224 Division Highway
    Narvon, PA 17555 610-273-3771
    SECCRA Landfill
    219 Street Rd.
    West Grove, PA 610-869-2452
  • Delaware County, PA - Curbside Christmas Tree Collection by AJB on the second and third Wednesday in January, to confirm dates, call  (610) 942-2707, or email/ [email protected].
  • Doylestown, PA - Christmas Tree Recycling Announcements will be made each year when residents may drop off their Christmas trees (free of all ornaments, garland tinsel and nails) at the Borough Public Works yard for shredding and recycling. Trees may be dropped off until mid January (see the Doylestown website for exact date, it is usually published there in early JANUARY) and the location is open 24 hours per day 7 days per week. The Borough is now accepting resident's cut Christmas trees at the designated drop-off location at the Public Works Facility, 300 Harvey Avenue. The cut trees should be free from tinsel, plastic, or ornaments before being placed in the bin, which is located outside the gate of Public Works at the northern terminus of Harvey Avenue.
  • Reading City Park - Drop off your Christmas trees, stripped of decorations at 11th & Washington Reading Pa. For more information, call 610-655-6236.
  • Exeter Twp. - Drop off your Christmas trees, stripped of decorations at Trout Run Exeter, Pa. For more information, call 610-779-5950.
  • Kutztown Borough - Drop off your Christmas trees, stripped of decorations at Railroad St. Kutztown, Pa. For more information, call 610-683-6131.
  • Lower Merion, PA - The Township will begin the collection of trees (which must be placed curbside) during the first two weeks in January on the regular refuse collection day. Because the first week of January is a holiday collection week due to the observance of New Years Day, tree collection will be the same as the holiday collection day. Residents may also dispose of Christmas trees at the Public Works Complex located at 1300 N Woodbine Avenue in Penn Valley. All ornaments, stands and other decorations must be removed. If you need additional information, please contact: Public Works Department Office, Township of Lower Merion, 610-645-6150.
  • Montgomery County, PA - Many municipalities provide curbside Christmas tree collections as part of their yard waste collection program. Check with your municipality or hauler for details and remember to remove all inorganic materials such as lights, decorations, and stands from the tree.  Souderton student group SAVE holds an annual Christmas tree recycling collection at Franconia Park collection at Franconia Park, s.
    LIMERICK - (610) 495-6432. DROP OFF at Limerick Community Park, Swamp Pike & Ziegler Rd. Limerick 19468. Accepted through January 31st
    NEW HANOVER - (610) 323-1008. Drop off at Recreation Center, Hoffmansville Rd Frederick, PA 19435, or Drop off at New Hanover Fire Company, 2154 Swamp Pike Gilbertsville, PA 19525. Accepted through mid-January  at both locations
    UPPER MERION - (610) 265-2606. Curbside Collection by township during month of January. Check with the township for dates
    UPPER PROVIDENCE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY - (610) 933-9179. Drop off at Township facility baseball field, 1286 Black Rock Rd. Phoenixville 19460; Accepted December 26th through January 31st. OR Drop off at Compost site location all year round at 1094 Longford Rd. Phoenixville 19460. Open Year Round: Saturdays 8am - 3pm & Wednesdays 1pm to Dusk
  • Muhlenberg Township - Drop off your Christmas trees, stripped of decorations at 61 & Reading Crest Blvd. Reading, Pa. For more information, call 610-929-4727.
  • Red Hill, PA - For RED HILL RESIDENTS ONLY (you may be asked to show proof of residency) May bring Christmas Trees to the borough from December 26th thru January 21st). Area to leave trees is marked and is located next to the mulch pile. Other dumping will be subject to $1,000 fine. The Borough maintains an area adjacent to the Borough Maintenance Building where Christmas trees can be dumped during certain days in January. These dates will be posted in December on the Borough home page. 
    ELECTRONIC RECYCLING available at no charge at STAPLES STORES c
    ELECTRONIC, APPLIANCE, METAL RECYCLING - Responsible Recycling Services - various locations   (Some drop off sites do charge a minimal fee for their services*. (Fees will be listed with drop off location!)
    OFFICE & HOUSEHOLD ELECTRONICS & COMPUTERS - PALM BUSINESS CENTER - 215-679-4119
  • Souderton, PA - Christmas Tree Curb Collection/ S.A.V.E Christmas Tree Recycling Event. The Borough will collect Christmas Trees curbside during the first week of January, through the end of January. Pick ups will end on January 31. Kindly remove all decorations and place the tree out front of the property for pickup . Souderton student group SAVE holds an annual Christmas tree recycling collection at Franconia Park, see their website for details.
  • South Heidelberg Township - Drop off your Christmas trees, stripped of decorations at Point Rd. Wernersville Pa. For more information, call 610-678-9652.
  • West Chester, PA - Christmas tree collection occurs the first 2 weeks following New Year's Day. Please remove all lights and decorations from your tree and place it out at your trash & recycling collection point. Trees placed out in plastic bags will not be collected.
  • West Goshen, PA - Township homeowners can place their trees at the curb for removal on the second Saturday in January. For those living in apartments or residents wishing to dispose of their trees earlier, West Goshen will continue its tradition of accepting Christmas trees to be mulched. Please have trees at curbside the night before, as the contractor starts collections early on Saturday morning. Township homeowners can place their trees at the curb for removal on the second Saturday in  January , around the 7th or 8th. For those living in apartments or residents wishing to dispose of their trees earlier, West Goshen will continue its tradition of accepting Christmas trees to be mulched. Township residents may bring Christmas trees to the West Goshen Community Park at the lower end of the main parking lot (next to Fern Hill Road) from December 26 through the second Saturday in January (usually - check their website). No other trash or yard waste will be accepted at this special collection. Do not leave trees in plastic bags. Make sure all decorations, wire, tinsel, and stands are removed. Wreaths will not be accepted. This service is for Township residents only. Anyone illegally dumping additional trees will be prosecuted. Community Park is located at the corner of North Five Points Road and Fernhill Road.Township residents may bring Christmas trees to the West Goshen Community Park at the lower end of the main parking lot (next to Fern Hill Road) through the second Saturday in January

For Easter egg Hunts, Children's Consignment Sales, Local Farm Markets and other types of Farms, click here.

Ways to save money AND help the environment:

Eat healthier AND save money: Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Air Fryer and Electric Pressure Cooker Combo with Multicooker Lids that Fries, Steams, Slow Cooks, Sautés, Dehydrates

Save water AND money with this showerhead adapter, it lets the water flow until the water is hot, then shuts off water flow until you restart it, ShowerStart TSV Hot Water Standby Adapter


Can your own food - Ball Enamel Water Bath Canner, Including Chrome-Plated Rack and 4-Piece Utensil Set

Protect your health with these:

Mattress Dust mite-Bedbug protector, 100% Waterproof, Hypoallergenic, Zippered

Handheld Allergen Vacuum Cleaner with UV Sanitizing and Heating for Allergies and Pet, Kills Mite, Virus, Molds, True HEPA with Powerful Suction removes Hair, Dander, Pollen, Dust,

GermGuardian Air Purifier with UV-C Light and HEPA 13 Filter, Removes 99.97% of Pollutants

5 Stage Air Purifier, Features Ultraviolet Light (UVC), H13 True Hepa, Carbon, PCO, Smart Wifi, Auto Mode, Quiet, Removes 99.97% of Particles, Smoke, Mold, Pet Dander, Dust, Odors

Interesting Reads:

THE PREPPER'S CANNING & PRESERVING BIBLE: [13 in 1] Your Path to Food Self-Sufficiency. Canning, Dehydrating, Fermenting, Pickling & More, Plus The Food Preservation Calendar for a Sustainable Pantry

The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! Paperback

The Citizens' Guide to Geologic Hazards: A Guide to Understanding Geologic Hazards Including Asbestos, Radon, Swelling Soils, Earthquakes, Volcanoes

The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming

Book: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History Paperback