Is your Christmas tree looking a little…past its prime?
If your Christmas tree is drooping in the corner, dropping needles by the minute, or just no longer sparking joy, you’re probably wondering what to do with it now that the holidays are nearing an end. Naturally grown Christmas trees don’t last forever, and once the celebrations end, many residents look for responsible, eco-friendly disposal options. Here’s the latest on how to give your tree a thoughtful sendoff.
Got a backyard? Great—your tree has a second life waiting.
After removing lights, ornaments, and tinsel, your Christmas tree transforms into a regular tree again. This opens the door to several reuse options including:
- Create wildlife habitat. Set the whole tree in a cozy corner of your yard to provide winter shelter for birds and critters.
- Protect your plants. Trim the branches and use them as natural insulation for garden beds and shrubs.
- Make your own mulch. If you have a chipper, turn the tree into mulch for spring landscaping.
- Celebrate with a bonfire. Dry wood burns beautifully—perfect for feeding your outdoor fire pit for a round of s’mores.
Feeling crafty? Your tree can live on in creative ways.
With a saw, some craft supplies, and a little imagination, your tree can be transformed into treasures you and others can enjoy for years to come. Slices of the trunk make charming coasters and Christmas tree ornaments. Branches can be crafted into rustic garlands or wreaths. Check out our Pinterest board for inspiration and make it a fun indoor winter project for the whole family.
Keep an eye out for special collection programs.
From time to time, we have seen local businesses collect Christmas trees and transport them to the Outer Banks of North Carolina where they can be used to fight beach erosion. If opportunities like this pop up, you’ll typically hear about them on social media and local news. Just remember: never place a tree on a beach without official approval from the appropriate city or county.
Prefer a simple, no-fuss goodbye?
If you’re clearing out an artificial tree, consider giving it a second life through donation. A family in need or a local school would surely love to have it. If the artificial tree is beyond reuse, find out how to dispose of it through your local bulk waste collection program.
If you’re ready to part ways with your natural tree, we’ve got you covered:
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Check with your tree vendor. Some sellers offer take-back programs after the holidays.
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Use local collection services. We’ve gathered a complete list of municipal pick-up and drop-off options across the region. Click your locality below to see exactly how and when trees will be collected in your area.
Chesapeake | Gloucester | Hampton | Isle of Wight | James City County | Newport News | Norfolk | Poquoson | Portsmouth | Smithfield | Suffolk | Virginia Beach | Williamsburg | York County
Chesapeake
When: Ongoing
Where: Trees will be picked up at curbside on regular trash collection day.
What to know: Tree should be free of the stand, ornaments, tinsel and lights.
Gloucester
When: December 26 to January 31
Where: Residents may place Christmas trees in the brush container at any of the five Gloucester County Convenience Centers.
What to know: Place in mulch container. Tree should be free of the stand, ornaments, tinsel and lights. Trees will be mulched for use as cost-saving landfill cover.
Hampton
When: Ongoing starting December 26
Where: Trees will be picked up at curbside on regular trash collection day. Tree must be separated from any bulk or regular trash by at least 3’and away from low electrical or utility wires. Residents can also bring naturally grown trees to be recycled at the Yard Waste Transfer Site located at 100 North Park Lane.
What to know: Naturally grown tree should be free of the stand, ornaments, tinsel and lights. Trees will be mulched or composted at the VPPSA Composting Facility. Mulch and compost are available for purchase by the public at the composting facility.
Isle of Wight
When: Ongoing
Where: Christmas trees can be dropped off at any of Isle of Wight County’s Refuse & Recycling Centers.
What to know: Remove all tinsel, ornaments, lights and stands or tree will not be accepted.
James City County
When: January 3 – January 31
Where: Trees can be dropped off at any of the County’s three convenience centers free of charge during normal operating hours. Locations and operating hours listed here.
What to know: Remove all tinsel, ornaments, lights and stands or tree will not be accepted. Trees will be mulched or composted.
Newport News
When: Ongoing
Where: Drop off undecorated, natural trees Monday through Saturday 8 am to 4 pm (except for city observed holidays) at the Recovery Operations Center located at 520 Atkinson Blvd. Residents who receive City solid waste services can place undecorated, natural trees curbside for bulk vegetative waste collection (keep separate from non-vegetative bulk waste).
What to know: Remove all tinsel, ornaments, lights and stands or tree will not be accepted. Trees will be mulched or composted.
Norfolk
When: December 26 – January 31
Where: Curbside on regularly scheduled trash collection day, place next to green bin.
What to know: Tree must be free of lights, decorations, tinsel, and any artificial elements. Drop off is also available at the Norfolk Waste Management Facility located at 1176 Pineridge Road. The collection area will be at the former HHW Convenience site by the recycling dumpsters. Trees may be dropped off 24 hrs/day. Trees will be recycled.
Poquoson
When: Dec. 25–Jan. 21
Where: Residents can drop off natural trees at the Municipal Pool Parking Lot (18 Municipal Drive)
What to know: Tree should be free of ALL decorations including stand, ornaments, tinsel and lights. Trees will be composted.
Portsmouth
When: Ongoing
Where: Curbside on regularly scheduled trash collection day
What to know: Tree must be free of lights, decorations, tinsel and any artificial elements.
Smithfield
When: December 29 – January 9
Where: Curbside
What to know: You must contact Kathy Bew-Jones at 365-4200 option 4 or kjones@smithfieldva.gov and provide your address if you have a Christmas tree to be picked up. Tree should be placed curbside and be free of the stand, ornaments, tinsel, garland and lights. Trees will be composted.
Suffolk
When: Ongoing
Where: Curbside
What to know: Christmas trees will be collected as part of the regular weekly special pickups. Trees must be no larger than 6ft x 6ft x 9ft.
Virginia Beach
When: Ongoing
Where: Curbside or drop-off at the City Landfill and Resource Recovery Center located at 1989 Jake Sears Rd.
What to know: Trees must be free of tinsel, lights, ornaments, and tree stand. Trees placed curbside will be collected as yard waste on your normal collection days and hauled to the HRRC Landfill.Trees dropped off at the City Landfill and Resource Recovery Center will be chipped and used for mulch.
The Virginia Aquarium will also collect trees during their ecycling event on Jan. 10, 2026 from 9 AM to noon. Acceptable trees must be bare and live-cut trees from households. This event is for residential recycling only, and no trees or items from commercial businesses will be accepted. Trees and recyclables will not be accepted at the Aquarium on any other day or time. Need more info? Visit: https://virginiaaquarium.com/featured-events/e-cycling
Williamsburg
When: Dec. 29 and Jan. 5
Where: Curbside on regularly scheduled trash day.
What to know: Trees must be free of tinsel, lights, and ornaments. Trees must be placed curbside before 7 am on these dates to ensure collection.
York County
When: Jan, 5-9
Where: Curbside or a designated drop-off site within the community where residents can bring their trees (with HOA or community management approval). The designated site needs to be in a location with access to the large knuckle boom truck used for collections. All York County residents may deliver their Christmas trees to the VPPSA Compost Facility (145 Goodwin Neck Road), Monday – Saturday 8 am to 4 pm.
What to know: Residents must place their tree at curbside by 7 a.m. on January 6. Trees should be free of all lights, tinsel, ornaments, tree stand and should not be bagged. Trees larger than 6′ should be cut in half. Trees will be composted.