Pinellas County Florida: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2024

Scroll down this page for local Pinellas County Florida 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:

• See this page for local options to easily recycle your Christmas holiday lights
• To find out how to recycle almost any other type of Christmas holiday waste from wrapping paper to toys and electronics, see this page. Ornaments and light strings are usually placed into your curbside collection bin. Some localities have year-round collection centers. The same is true of wrapping paper and boxes. 

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!

Pinellas County Florida: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2024

• Clearwater - Curbside collection with yard waste on regular day.
  For more information, call 562-4920.
• Dunedin - Curbside collection with yard waste on regular day from 12/26 to mid January. Residents without curbside yard waste pickup can plan a pickup day with their association or property manager. For more information,
  call 298-3215, ext. 1328. Christmas Tree Recycling
• Gulfport - Place tree at curb or alley for regularly scheduled Wednesday yard waste pick up. Do NOT bag or place tree in can. For multiple-dwelling units, place your tree near the dumpster without blocking access to it. To prepare your tree for recycling, remove all decorations, including hooks, garland, tinsel and lights. Trees will be chopped and processed into mulch, then made available to residents at the Gulfport Neighborhood Center, located at 1617 49th St. S. For more information, call 893-1089.
• Indian Rocks Beach - Curbside collection with yard waste on Wednesdays. For more information, call 595-6889.
• Largo - Place trees at curb on your regularly scheduled yard waste day after Christmas until the end of the first FULL week in January. Please do not place trees at the curb in bags or with decorations attached. For more information, please call 587-6760. Please have your trees out on the curb by 7am on the day your recycling is picked up, completely separated by at least 3 feet from your trash and recycling carts or any other objects. Trees are to be free of any decorations, hooks, lights, tinsel, garland and stands. Trees should be loose, do not use bags or trash cans. Trees that are over 6 feet should be cut in half. For apartments or condos, check with the property manager for disposal instructions.
• Madeira Beach - Curbside collection with yard waste on Wednesdays. For more information, call 543-8154.
• Oldsmar - Drop off at 107 Shore Drive W., across from Park Boulevard. Open from 12/26 to mid January. For more information, call (813) 749-1266. Drop-off location will be available 7 days a week, 8 am to 8 pm.
• Pinellas Park - Drop off at the city's brush site at: 12950 40th St. N. (7:30 am to 4:30 pm, Mon - Sun). For more information, call 369-0690. Place curbside where it will be collected with regular garbage.
• Safety Harbor - Cardboard recycling is collected during residents' recycling day. Cardboard must fit in the 64 gallon recycling container. Christmas tree is recycled with yard waste Wednesdays. No lights, tinsel or plastic bags. For more information, call 724-1550.
• St. Petersburg - put your tree out for curbside collection by Friday, in mid-January3, for collection on January 14. If your tree has not been picked up by January 14, call 893-7398. Please place the tree no closer than 3 feet beside the garbage container in the usual collection location (curb or alley).. OR Drop off at the St. Petersburg brush sites below:
  1000 62nd Ave. N.E.
  7750 26th Ave. N.
  2500 26th Ave. S.
  4015 Dr. MLK Jr. St. S.
  2453 20th Ave. N.
• Tampa - Christmas Day Holiday Collection Schedule Click here for locati ons, updated information and more details
• Tarpon Springs - Drop off at Yard Waste facility (898 S. Levis Ave.) for a fee or put out for curbside collection with yard waste on regular day. For more information, call 943-4837.
• Treasure Island - Curbside collection with yard waste on regular day. For more information, call 547-4575, ext. 253.
• Unincorporated Pinellas County - Drop off at Pinellas County Solid Waste, 3095 114th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Cost is $3 per load for up to five trees. More information, call 464-7500 or contact your trash hauler. Remove all decorations, including hooks, garland, tinsel and lights. Tree should be loose. Do not use a bag or trash can. For apartments or condos, check with property manager for disposal instructions.
• Pinellas County Solid Waste - Email: [email protected]. Call: (727) 464-7500
  

THE FOLLOWING CITIES DO NOT HAVE CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING PROGRAMS:

Place the tree curbside on a regular trash day. Although, the tree will not be recycled, it will be collected and converted into energy at Pinellas County's Waste-to-Energy Facility. Any resident can recycle their tree by bringing it to the Solid Waste facility at
3095 114th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg.

HOW TO RECYCLE CHRISTMAS TREE AT PINELLAS COUNTY SOLID WASTE

The trees will be recycled into mulch. The trees can be dropped off at 3095 114th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg. The cost is $3 per load for up to five trees. The cost for six or more trees is $37.50 per ton. Hours: Monday to Friday, 6 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, 7 am to 5 pm For more information, call 464-7500.

For questions regarding Christmas Tree disposal, contact your city.

• Belleair 588-3769, ext. 401
• Belleair Beach* 595-4646, ext. 120
• Belleair Bluffs 584-2151
• Belleair Shore 595-7548
• Indian Shores 595-4020
• Kenneth City* 498-8948
• N. Redington Beach 391-4848
• Redington Beach 391-3875
• Redington Shores 397-5538
• Seminole 397-6383
• South Pasadena 384-0701
• St. Pete Beach 363-9243

ELECTRONIC RECYCLING AND DISPOSAL INFORMATION

All strings of Christmas lights may be placed in the garbage.
Recycle old TVs, computers, laptops, tablets and cell phones at Pinellas County's Household Electronics and Chemical Collection Center (HEC₃) at 2855 109th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Small electric appliances such as toasters, printers, microwave ovens, fans, irons and vacuums may be safely disposed in the regular trash.

For Easter egg Hunts, Children's Consignment Sales, Local Farm Markets and other types of Farms, click here.