District of Columbia: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree after Christmas 2025 through January 2026

Where and How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas Trees in District of Columbia after Christmas 2025 through January 2026

In many urban and suburban areas, Christmas trees are collected from curbside during the first 2 weeks in January. 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 usually accepted, 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 garbage hauler. But scrroll down this page for more specific information and local links.

What happens to the trees? In most cases, the trees are chipped and made into a mulch which is usually made available, free to city or county residents. Important: Never burn your Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Burning the tree may contribute to creosote buildup and could cause a chimney fire.

Tips: Always follow the links (usually the 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 (it's government, remember?). If your area is

Related information:

See this page for local options to easily recycle your Christmas holiday lights

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Click here for the list of winter sleigh ride locations!

See our easy recipes to make a Chocolate Yule log and click here to make your own l ow-fat, low calorie but delicious Egg Nog ! Then come back to our other website in March to find a local Easter Egg Hunt for your children ! There are affiliate links on this page. Read our disclosure policy to learn more.

District of Columbia: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree after Christmas 2025 through January 2026

• 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

  • Benning Road Transfer Station: 3200 Benning Road NE
  • Fort Totten Transfer Station: 4900 John F. McCormack Drive NE
  • Bryant Street Sweep Shop: 201 Bryant Street NW
  • South Capitol Street Graffiti Shop: 2700 South Capitol Street SE

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