Is your Christmas tree limping along? Looking decidedly more brown than green? Pine needles littering your carpet? If so, you might be searching for the best way to dispose of your once festive fir. Naturally-grown Christmas trees have a predictable shelf life and residents often ask how to dispose of their tree when the holidays come to an end. Here’s what you need to know.
If you have a backyard, we have some waste-free options for you to consider. Once you remove the decorations and lights from your Christmas tree, it is transformed back into a regular old tree. This opens up a variety of eco-friendly disposal options. You can place the entire tree outside for the overwintering birds and critters to enjoy. You can also cut limbs from the tree to use as a protective covering for shrubs and plants in your flowerbeds. If you have a chipper, make mulch! You could also use your Christmas tree as firewood for a New Year’s Eve bonfire. Pass the s’mores!
Trees can also be reused in creative ways. With a little vision, some crafting supplies, and a good Pinterest board, anything is possible! A cut up tree trunk can become ornaments, coasters, a wreath, and more. Check out our Pinterest board and get inspired! Crafts are a perfect winter activity for the whole family to enjoy.
At times, local businesses may offer to collect Christmas trees and transport them to the Outer Banks of North Carolina where they are used to address beach erosion. Be on the lookout for announcements like this on social media or your local news channel in the coming weeks. While Christmas trees can be an effective way to address beach erosion, you should never place one on a local beach without approval from the appropriate city or county officials.
For those looking to just be done with “o Tannenbaum,” we have options for you too. Check with the vendor where you purchased the tree. Some locations offer their own take-back programs. We’ve also compiled a comprehensive list of municipal collection options organized by city or county. Click on your community in the list below and find complete details on how Christmas trees will be collected after the holidays.
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 2 – February 4
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: December 28 – January 30
Where: Curbside (during regular bulk collection week) or drop off Monday through Saturday 8 am to 4 pm (except for city observed holidays) at the Recovery Operations Center located at 520 Atkinson Blvd.
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 26 – January 10
Where: Curbside
What to know: You must contact Kathy Bew-Jones at 365-4200 option 4 or [email protected] 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: Dec. 26-Jan. 5
Where: Curbside
What to know: For two weeks after Christmas the collection of a Christmas tree does not count against the 12 free special pickups allowed each year.
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.
There is also a local donation event happening at the Virginia Aquarium Dec. 28 – Jan 9. The Virginia Aquarium will partner with Marine Stewards America (MSA) to collect and recycle bare and live-cut Christmas trees in support of marine-focused conservation. Need more info? https://virginiaaquarium.com/featured-events/christmas-tree-cycling
Williamsburg
When: Jan. 6 & Jan. 13
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: January 6 – January 10
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.