Scroll down this page for local King County, Washington 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!
Most holiday lights recycling programs want you to remove large glass bulbs (the smaller plug-in bulbs are okay) from light strands, and remove any excessive plastic attachments from the light strands, since that glass and plastic is not recyclable (you can throw those materials away yourself at home).
At the King County facilities below, holiday trees are accepted as yard waste and must be separated from garbage for
recycling. At all other King County facilities, holiday trees are accepted as garbage at the garbage fee. Trees must be no more than 8 feet long.
Yard waste recycling fee: $12 minimum; $75 per ton
Garbage fee (as of January 2021): $25.50
minimum; $151.63 per ton Minimum fees cover up to 320 lbs. King County's Cleanup LIFT program offers a $12 discount for residential customers
enrolled in ProviderOne, EBT, or ORCA LIFT who haul their garbage, yard waste, clean wood, and refrigerant-type appliances to a King County
facility. The discount is good for each type of waste per entry. Just show your card upon entry.
All other areas of the state (just enter your zip code on the page that comes up)
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Ways to save money AND help the environment:
Eat healthier AND save money: Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Air Fryer and Electric Pressure Cooker Combo with Multicooker Lids that Fries, Steams, Slow Cooks, Sautés, Dehydrates
Save water AND money with this showerhead adapter, it lets the water flow until the water is hot, then shuts off water flow until you restart it, ShowerStart TSV Hot Water Standby Adapter
Protect your health with these:
Mattress Dust mite-Bedbug protector, 100% Waterproof, Hypoallergenic, Zippered
Handheld Allergen Vacuum Cleaner with UV Sanitizing and Heating for Allergies and Pet, Kills Mite, Virus, Molds, True HEPA with Powerful Suction removes Hair, Dander, Pollen, Dust,
GermGuardian Air Purifier with UV-C Light and HEPA 13 Filter, Removes 99.97% of Pollutants
5 Stage Air Purifier, Features Ultraviolet Light (UVC), H13 True Hepa, Carbon, PCO, Smart Wifi, Auto Mode, Quiet, Removes 99.97% of Particles, Smoke, Mold, Pet Dander, Dust, Odors
Interesting Reads:
THE PREPPER'S CANNING & PRESERVING BIBLE: [13 in 1] Your Path to Food Self-Sufficiency. Canning, Dehydrating, Fermenting, Pickling & More, Plus The Food Preservation Calendar for a Sustainable Pantry
The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! Paperback
The Citizens' Guide to Geologic Hazards: A Guide to Understanding Geologic Hazards Including Asbestos, Radon, Swelling Soils, Earthquakes, Volcanoes
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
Book: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History Paperback