How to recycle Christmas trees in the Triangle for mulch

We’re not rushing you, but when you’re ready to say goodbye to the Christmas season, here’s some information about what to do with your Christmas tree.

Dried out Christmas trees become increasingly flammable as days go by, so maybe we’re rushing you just a little bit.

Most towns and cities recycle Christmas trees for mulch, so recycling your tree is a way of “paying it forward.”

Read on for information on how to recycle Christmas trees in various towns and cities around the Triangle. There are options for curbside pickup and drop-off at recycling centers. We have even included a farm that would love Christmas tree donations for their goats to eat!

Just because we don’t include information for your town, city or county doesn’t mean that they don’t recycle Christmas trees. Make sure to check on your town’s recycling information if it’s not listed here.

Curbside Pickup

Most municipalities that offer curbside pickup of trash and yard waste will pick up your Christmas tree on your normal schedule. This only applies to real trees. Make sure to remove any decoration first. 

Chapel Hill

Town crews from Town of Chapel Hill’s Solid Waste Services will pick up trees and wreaths for mulching on the regular yard waste collection schedule.

Remove all decorations, tinsel and wire before leaving trees and wreaths at the curbside along with other yard waste. Residents of apartment complexes should place trees in the area designated by property managers.

Carrboro

Post-holiday trees and wreaths will be collected as part of the regular yard waste collection schedule. Please remove all decorations from the tree or wreath, including tinsel and any nails from the stand. Trees and wreaths should be placed at the curbside with other yard waste. More info.

Cary

Remove artificial decorations, including wire, tinsel, lights, etc. Place the item at your curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled yard waste collection day. Alternatively, you can drop it off at Citizen’s Convenience Center, 313 N. Dixon Avenue, Cary. More info.

Durham

City of Durham will pick up your tree for free, if you’re a current yard waste customer, starting January 2, 2024. A tree collection will not count toward a free brush collection for yard waste customers. If the tree is taller than six feet it must be cut in half.

Waste Disposal and Recycling Center – 2115 E. Club Blvd.
Live trees will be accepted for free disposal at the City’s Waste Disposal and Recycling Center.

Date/Time:
Tuesday, January 2, through Saturday, February 3, 2024
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday

City Park Drop-Off Locations:
Live trees may also be dropped off at no charge at the following seven park locations. Solid Waste Management crews will be on site each of these Saturdays to assist.

Date/Time:
Saturday, January 6; Saturday, January 13; Saturday, January 20; and Saturday, January 27.
7 a.m. to 12 p.m..

Raleigh

The City of Raleigh will pick up your tree on your regular trash pick-up day.

• Don’t put the tree in a container. Leave it right on the ground
• Be sure to remove all decorations and lights
• Don’t put Christmas lights in the recycling cart. Use them next year. When it’s time to dispose of them, put them in the garbage
• Only live trees can be recycled

Wake Forest

The Town of Wake Forest recycles Christmas trees. Check wakeforestnc.gov for the start date, when announced.

The Town of Wake Forest is encouraging residents to make recycling a holiday tradition by recycling their live Christmas trees. Town crews will collect and recycle live Christmas trees from residential homes during yard waste collection. The trees will be ground into mulch and made available for free to residents upon request.

All Wake Forest residents whose yard waste is collected by the Town may participate in the “Treecycling” program. To recycle your Christmas tree, remove all decorations, tinsel, nails, stands, and bags from the tree and set it behind the curb for collection. Residents are reminded that artificial trees cannot be recycled. For more information, email the Public Works Department at publicworksdept@wakeforestnc.gov.

Fuquay-Varina

The Town collects Christmas trees at no charge through curbside pickup or a drop-off Convenience Center from December 26, 2023, thru January 31, 2024.

Curbside Pick-up Option: Place the Christmas tree curbside with the lights, tinsel, wire, ornaments, and stand removed. Please also remove any nails. Trees will be removed as time warrants, so please leave your tree curbside and it will be collected as soon as possible.

Drop off Convenience Option: Trees may also be dropped at the convenience center located at Action Park, 609 Wake Chapel Road during the time frame stated above.

More info.

Apex

The Town of Apex is collecting real Christmas trees as part of regular yard waste collection services. Remove all decorations from trees, including any nails from the stand, and place at the curb for pickup on your scheduled day. More info.

Wake County

If your municipality doesn’t provide waste removal, or you’d like to drop off your tree, you can drop off your tree at several Wake County convenience centers and parks.

Drop off your undecorated tree at designated locations from Dec. 26, 2023, until Jan. 28, 2024. Note that all facilities will be closed for New Year’s Day on Monday, January 1.

Wake County Convenience Centers
Hours: 7 days a week, 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

• Site 1: 10505 Old Stage Road, Garner
• Site 2: 6120 Old Smithfield Road, Apex
• Site 4: 3600 Yates Mill Pond Road, Raleigh
• Site 11: 5051 Wendell Blvd., Wendell

Wake County Parks
Hours: 7 days a week, 8 a.m. until sunset

• Blue Jay Point County Park: 3200 Pleasant Union Church Road, Raleigh
• Harris Lake County Park: 2112 County Park Drive, New Hill
• Lake Crabtree County Park: 1400 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville
• Green Hills County Park: 9300 Deponie Drive, Raleigh

You can also recycle your other holiday waste at the Wake County Convenience Centers:

• Aluminum, Glass, Paper, Plastic
• Corrugated Cardboard
• Chipboard (paper roll tubes, cereal boxes, etc.)
• Clothing & Shoes
• Holiday Cards
• Magazines & Catalogs
• SBS Board (shirt boxes, etc.)
• Scrap Metal
• Wrapping Paper (no foil)
• More

Disposing of Artificial Trees

Please don’t put your artificial tree on the curb to be picked up as yard waste.  Consider keeping it for next year or donating it. 

If you want to have it picked up by your curb you might need to schedule bulky trash pickup or take it to a waste collection center. Consult your municipality’s website for solid waste removal.

You might be able to find venues that would love to take your artificial Christmas tree for their display next year.

Disposing of Other Holiday Waste

Other items can be recycled as normal on your regular recycling pickup day. Make sure to check to see what items can be recycled, because some items that you’d think can be recycled can’t be, and some can be, but need to be treated differently than regular recycling.

You can also drop off recyclable items. 

For example, you can also recycle your other holiday waste at the Wake County Convenience Centers:

• Aluminum, Glass, Paper, Plastic
• Corrugated Cardboard
• Chipboard (paper roll tubes, cereal boxes, etc.)
• Clothing & Shoes
• Holiday Cards
• Magazines & Catalogs
• SBS Board (shirt boxes, etc.)
• Scrap Metal
• Wrapping Paper (no foil)
• More

Christmas lights can be recycled at the electronics trailers at any of Orange County’s Waste and Recycling Centers.

Make sure to check for hours at the above link.

Consult your municipality’s solid waste services website for information.

A Note of Caution

What you put curbside might give potential burglars an idea of what new items are in your house, like televisions and game consoles. So, you might want to consider dropping those boxes off at drop-off centers instead.