Don’t trash your Christmas tree…recycle it!

Recycling the tree creates a resource and saves landfill space

It’s not too late to start the New Year on a “green” foot by recycling your Christmas tree, rather than tossing it in with the garbage.

The King County Solid Waste Division (SWD) recommends recycling the old Christmas tree – not only to save space in the landfill for the stuff that really needs to be there, but to create a resource from what has been traditionally considered a waste item.

Recycled Christmas trees are sent through a chipper, and the resulting woodchips are used for landscaping or as a compost soil amendment.

Here are tree-cycling options:

• Curbside pickup: If you have curbside yard waste collection service, you can place your tree at the curb with your regular yard waste. Restrictions vary, so call your city or garbage hauler for information.
• Private companies: Many private yard waste facilities in King County collect Christmas trees for recycling – at rates much cheaper than disposal.  Visit King County’s “What Do I Do With…?” Web site at http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/wdidw/index.asp select type in “Christmas tree” in the search box and click the “Search” button for a list of private companies that accept Christmas trees. 
• Fundraising events: Lots of community groups sponsor Christmas tree-cycling fundraising events. For a small donation, they will deliver your tree to a commercial recycler. Flyers will be available in your neighborhood during the holiday season. By recycling at these events, you can support a worthy cause while helping the environment.
• City-sponsored events: Many cities also have Christmas tree recycling events – and most of them run through mid-January, so it’s not too late. For a list of city-sponsored events, visit http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/garbage-recycling/tree-cycling.asp.

For more information, call the King County Solid Waste Division, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 206-296-4466 or toll free, at 1-800-325-6165, ext. 6-4466, TTY Relay:  711 or visit the Web site at http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/index.asp.

Related information

What do I do with...?

Recycle More. It's Easy To Do.

King County Solid Waste