Ho- Ho- How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree in Montgomery County

It’s time for Montgomery County residents to recycle their Christmas trees!

Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection accepts Christmas trees throughout the year in the curbside yard trim collection. However, the department will not accept artificial trees or trees with root balls in the yard trim collection.

So, now that Christmas is over, make sure you are aware of your recycling collection day.

Here’s where you can find the regular recycling collection hours; and here’s where you can find the holiday recycling collection hours—the holiday schedule ends on Jan. 5.

Check out this guide on how to properly dispose of your Christmas tree.

How to Recycle a Tree From a Single-Family Home or Townhouse

If you live in a single-family home or townhouse, here’s how you can recycle your Christmas tree:

• Bring your Christmas tree to the curb by 7 a.m. on your assigned recycling day.
• Make sure you’ve removed all decorations, lights, tinsel, and garland from your tree.
• If you have any branches or needles to recycle, place them under trees or shrubs in your yard to use temporarily as winter much (the Department of Environmental protection also recommends chopping them up for a compost pile).

How to Recycle a Tree From an Apartment or Condominium

If you live in an apartment or condominium, make sure you communicate with your property manager for specific instructions about how to dispose of your trees.

Property managers should have made arrangements with the Department of Environmental Protection to schedule a special collections for Christmas trees.

How to Dispose of an Artificial Tree

• Request a bulk trash pickup if you have a Montgomery County-provided trash service.
• If you don’t have a Montgomery County-provided trash service, contact your homeowner’s association for instructions.
• If your artificial tree is still usable, then consider posing it on Craigslist, Facebook, Freecycle, or other similar neighborhood lists.

How to Dispose of Wreaths and Roping

• Separate greens in the wreath from the wire.
• Bag and bundle the greens and the wire as yard trim.
• Set them out on your recycling collection day, or thrown away the wreaths and roping with your trash.

If You Aren’t Ready to Say Goodbye to Your Tree…

If you aren’t ready to say goodbye to your tree yet, then make sure keep your tree watered. According to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services, a tree that catches on fire can “engulf a home in minutes.”

pic.twitter.com/P7YUK8Czjh

— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) January 4, 2019

About Deirdre Byrne

Deirdre Byrne is a social media coordinator for Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at dbyrne@mymcmedia.org or on twitter at @DeirdreByrneMCM.

View all posts by Deirdre Byrne