Scroll down this page for local New York recycling and responsible disposal options for holiday waste, from Christmas trees and wreathes, to lights, ornaments, wrapping and packaging. Many towns and cities offer curbside collection, even for Christmas trees. Counties and unicorporated areas typically have a number or drop-off locations.
Christmas trees are usually colllected from December 26th through
the first 2 or 3 weeks in January. Whether your tree is picked up from
your curb,
or you drop it off, 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
occasionally accepted (call to verify), 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
curbside garbage hauler.
The trees and wreathes are usually chipped and made into a mulch
which is often made available, free to city or county residents.
Recycling other items:
Always follow the links (usually the blue, underlined 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.
If your area is not specifically mentioned below, call your trash collection
agency and ask!
New York: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2024
Cities in NY State (scroll down for counties)
- Albany, NY - Set by the curb as yard waste.
Remove decorations, tinsel, lights, etc.
Do Not place inside of
plastic bags.
-
Buffalo, NY
- The City will have curbside collection of naturally grown Christmas trees. The collection is normally scheduled (no update yet from them
for this year) to be on the first full week in January on residents scheduled garbage day. This
will be conducted by the City of Buffalo's Department of Public
Works, Parks & Streets as a way to help the environment and
reduce costs associated with taking the trees to landfills. To
participate in this collection, city residents are asked to
place trees out on their curb before a scheduled garbage pickup
and to not place them in garbage bags. Although they are
scheduled on the same days, trees will be picked up separately
from garbage, so city residents should not be concerned if they
are left behind after garbage removal. In addition to the
one-week tree pick-up, Buffalo is also offering drop-off
for recycling . For more information
about the program, please contact 311.
Discarded
artificial trees will be treated as garbage and not yard waste.
Other Buffalo Area Towns:
Amherst collects discarded trees from curbside during the first
2 weeks of January
Cheektowaga: collects discarded trees from
curbside during the first 2 weeks of January
Lancaster: collects discarded trees from curbside
during the first 2 weeks of January
Niagara Falls: Trees will be picked up with regular garbage
throughout the month of January.
North Tonawanda: collects discarded trees from curbside during
the first 2 weeks of January with regular trash disposal.
Town of Tonawanda: tree pickup on regular garbage pickup days.
Trees are destined for recycling.
West Seneca: collects
discarded trees from curbside during the first 2 weeks of
January
- Bronx, NY - You can put your live Christmas tree curbside for chipping and composting at any time during the Department of Sanitation's special collection
period (usually during the first 2 weeks in January). From January 6, 2023 through January 14, 2023. The schedule may change if a weather event
impacts NYC.. Keep in mind that the schedule may be changed if a weather event impacts NYC.
Before placing your tree curbside, remove: Plastic bags, Lights, Ornaments, Tree stands, Other tree-related accessories. Trees that still have
items attached can't be composted and will be collected as regular trash.
Learn more about Christmas tree collection.
The Yonkers Organic Yard accepts
leaves, branches and Christmas trees stripped of decorations and
lights. The yard will not accept grass clippings, tree stumps or
items placed in plastic bags.
Artificial tree 4 feet or smaller, you can put it curbside with your regular trash. If the tree is greater than 4 feet, you need a bulk pick-up appointment
(or. one would suppose, separate or break it into pieces each less than 4 ft). To schedule a bulk pick-up appointment, visit the Bulk Item Disposal page.
- Brookhaven, NY - Christmas Trees can be collected
at the curb, separate from garbage, as brush on Sunday nights
preceding leaf weeks (do not bag). There is a special week for
Christmas trees to allow them to be recycled (they say to
please check their calendar
). If over 6 feet must be cut in half or
brought to the Town landfill. Make sure to remove any stands, lights, ornaments, bags etc. Artificial trees are NOT accepted.
- Lewisboro, NY - Christmas trees will be accepted
for recycling in January during regular recycling center hours, 9 am to 12 pm on Saturdays. The recycling center is located
behind the Town House, 11 Main Street, South Salem. The trees
will be chipped by the Highway Department to be recycled as
mulch.
- New Castle and Chappaqua, NY - You can take your
Christmas tree (which they, in imbicillic political correctness
call a "holiday tree") to the recycling center. Remove all
lights and decorations first. The Recycling Center is located
at:
210 Hunts Lane, Chappaqua, NY 10514.
Recycling Center Office
Hours: Wed.- Sat. 7 am to 11:15am & 12 pm to 2:30pm. To report
problems or ask questions email:
[email protected]
- Rochester, NY - Residential customers who wish to recycle their natural holiday trees may bring
them to one of several holiday tree drop off locations around the city. The
trees are chipped and the resulting mulch is returned to the public at no charge
through the Materials Give Back Program
located on Ferrano Street near Colfax Street.
Drop-off Locations - Beginning after Christmas and through the end of January, residents may drop their
holiday tree for recycling at the
these Rochester locations.
- Rye, NY - Christmas Trees are collected as organic yard
waste. Trees must be free of ornamentation and not placed in plastic
bags. Trees must be put curbside on organic yard waste days.
- Salina, NY
. (Liverpool, NY) Christmas Trees will be
picked up between the dates of January 2nd and January 31st on your
regularly scheduled trash pick-up day. Trees left out after this
period will be picked up after March 15th when yard waste pick-up
resumes.
- Syracuse, NY - Trees will be picked up at
curbside if you have collection. They can also can be dropped off at the mulch pile on
Midler Avenue, across from the entrance to Lowe's. Also
see these drop off locations
. Christmas trees are accepted at OCRRA's Amboy and Jamesville Compost Sites during special hours from January 2 through the middle of the
second week in January(Mon.
- Fri. from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm . There are no weekend hours.) There is no cost to drop off a tree. Simply remove all decorations, lights, tinsel,
stands, and plastic bags from trees prior to dropping off at either site.
There is no cost to drop off a tree; you do not need a Compost
Site Pass to drop a tree off. Real trees are used to create mulch for gardens and landscaping. That is why it is so important to REMOVE all
decorations, lights, tinsel, stands, and plastic bags from trees prior to dropping them off at either site.
2) Some towns and villages
provide "real" tree pick-up. Call your local highway department for more information.
Jamesville
Compost Site, 4370 Route 91, Jamesville, NY 13078. Phone:
315-453-2866. Email: [email protected]
AMBOY, 6296 Airport Road Camillus, NY
13209. Phone: 315-453-2866. Email:
[email protected].
City of Syracuse, Department of Public Works usually collects undecorated trees from curbside on these dates:
Northeast Syracuse on the first
week in January
Southeast Syracuse on the second week in January
Southwest Syracuse on the third week in January
Northwest Syracuse on the fourth week in January.
City residents can also drop off trees at the DPW yard waste site on Canal Street
located off of Midler Avenue Monday through Friday between 7 am and 3 pm.
- Staten Island, NY- The city Department of
Sanitation (DSNY) will collect clean Christmas trees curbside from during the first 2 full weeks in January, Monday to Friday, weather-permitting.
The trees will be chipped, mixed with leaves and turned into compost for New York City's parks, institutions and community gardens. Be sure to
remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel, stands and plastic bags before setting the tree out b the curb.Artificial trees in good condition, can be
donated, see donateNYC. Put artificial trees in poor condition in the garbage on
regular collection day(s)
- Yonkers, NY - Christmas trees should be
placed at curbside on regular refuse collection day. Discard
decorations and tinsel; Place curbside on scheduled tree
pick
up days (see the Calendar); Drop off at the Yonkers Organic Yard
(610 Nepperhan Avenue)As part of
the City's Recycling program, this division collects newspapers
and commingle recyclables at curbside on Alternate Wednesday's. For more information, call 377-6270
County breakdown
-
Broome County - Christmas trees are recycled
into mulch or compost. Be sure to remove all decorations, plastic bags and tinsel before disposal. FREE Drop-off Locations
for RESIDENTS ONLY.
NYSDEC Sub-office, Kirkwood, NY: Will
accept trees between 8 am and 4 pm at 1679 Route 11. The trees are
chipped and spread along hiking trails in the parks.
Broome
County Landfill, 286 Knapp Rd., Binghamton NY: Will accept trees
at the residential drop-off area located at the landfill from
December 27 to January 31. Open Monday through Friday 7 am to 2:45pm and Saturday 7 am to 11:45am. The trees are chipped and
composted.
Grippen Park, Endicott, NY:Will accept trees from
December 26 through the first week in January. During daylight hours. The
trees are chipped.
Residents with municipal and private
curbside service should contact their garbage hauler for more
information.
- Cayuga County - Residents can bring their Christmas trees to
the Natural Resource Center at 7413 County House Road in
Sennett. The center is open from 8 am to 4 pm. through
Friday; and Monday and 8 am to noon Saturday through early January (usually ends around January 10th or 11th); .
Residents bringing in their Christmas tree for recycling will be
able to pick up on May 4 at the Natural Resource Center a free
Douglas fir transplant seedling for planting.
- Madison County - Trees and wreaths can be dropped
off at the county landfill on Buyea Road in Lincoln and transfer stations in Cazenovia, Hamilton and Sullivan for free. Recycling coordinator
Sharon Driscoll said the trees will be processed with brush and branches and turned into mulch, which residents can pick up for free in the
spring. Some towns and villages also handle trees. Remove all lights and ornaments before dropping them off to any of the following locations:Madison County Transfer Stations (Hamilton, Cazenovia, Sullivan and Buyea Road)
The Wild Animal Park (Chittenango)
The Haven at Skanda (Cazenovia)
- Monroe County - Click the link at left for
details; residents can
once again recycle their Christmas trees, free of charge, at
several locations across Monroe County. Most drop-off
locations will accept trees throughout the end of January.
Most communities provide curb-side pick up for trees.
Contact your town or village for more information. You can
also bring your Christmas trees to either the Amboy or
Jamesville Compost Site between the first 2 weeks in January
(Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 4 pm). Trees must be
free of ornaments, tree stands, lights, tinsel, etc.
There is no charge to drop off items at either site. In the
spring, the trees are ground into mulch that can be used in
gardens and landscaping.
- Onondaga County -
See this page for more info for the Syracuse area.
- Oswego County - Residents can bring their Christmas trees to
the Bristol Hill Landfill in Volney, where the trees will be
composted. The landfill is open from 7:30 am to 4 pm. Monday
through Friday and 8 am to noon Saturday. Some towns and
villages also handle trees.
- Saratoga County - The following towns collect
trees from curbside. Decorations must be removed. Real
Christmas Trees ONLY, we do not pick up artificial trees. If
longer than 7 feet than the trees will need to be cut down.
Remove everything from your tree (especially tinsel), these
are going to a tree farm so they can not have anything on
them
Town of Ballston mid-January for All Town Residents
Town of Clifton Parkin
mid-January for All Town
Residents
Town of Glenville in mid-January for County Waste Customers Only
Town of Halfmoon in early-January for County Waste Customers Only
Town of
Schaghticoke in mid-January for All
Town Residents
Town of Wilton early-January for County Waste Customers Only.
- Tioga County - Most villages provide tree pick-up or drop-off for their residents. Call your village for more information. If you live in a rural area, lay the
tree out where the branches can offer shelter for birds and other wildlife. UPDATE:
In June of 2020, Tioga County went out to
bid for this service and the lowest bid came in at more than double the current rate. Due to this recycling is changing; You are still
required to recycle. What is going away is the "RECYCLE" tax levy on your County tax bill and the county contracting for curbside recycling.
As of December 31, 2020, the county curbside recycling contract with Taylor Garbage ended. Residents are required to contract with a private
hauler for recycling pickup starting January 1. We are pleased to say there are four options for Tioga County for curbside recycling
only as well as curbside trash & recycling collection and they are:
B&E Disposal - 607-699-3406
Taylor Garbage - 607-797-5277
Bert
Adams Disposal - 607-648-4863
RPM Group - 607-223-8714
Casella (607-358-7771) do not provide curbside recycling only but are an option
for curbside trash & recycling collection.
According to Taylor Garbage, starting January 1st residents will no longer be allowed to drop
recycling off at their transfer stations, only trash. Residents were originally told that they would be able to drop recycling off at one of
the transfer stations in the County based on information from the NYS Department of Conservation (NYSDEC); however, NYSDEC came back later
and said this is not the case.
- Tompkins County - Christmas Tree and Wreath Recycling.
Some municipalities in Tompkins County provide convenient
options for recycling trees and wreaths into compost and
mulch. Drop off this item for recycling at the Recycling and Solid Waste Center's Yard
Waste area. Click here for a map of the Recycling and Solid Waste Center.The Recycling and Solid Waste Center also accepts
these items free of charge as yard waste. Get all the details in this guide
. Please remove any
decorations first.
-
All other areas of the state (just enter your zip code on the page that comes up)
