Scroll down this page for local Chicago area of Illinois 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 ofteny made available, free to city or county residents.
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!
Chicago area of Illinois January 2022 Curbside, Local Recycling and Disposal Options for Trees, Lights and Other Holiday Waste
Chicago area of Illinois January 2022 Curbside, Local Recycling and Disposal Options for Trees, Lights and Other Holiday Waste
Chicago area Christmas Tree Recycling
For other areas of Illinois, including towns and cities
outside of Chicgo, click here
Chicago
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Chicago
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The Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago allow you to recycle your Christmas tree at one of
parks across the city. Drop it off at a location listed below
from Saturday, January 9, 2021 through Saturday, January 23, 2021 (the second and
third full weeks of January) , at 25 locations citywide to be chipped and
turned into mulch. Free mulch* will be available to residents for
pick up beginning Friday, in mid January. For additional
information, please call 311 or visit
Chicago Recycles
. For a small donation (usually set at around $10), the
not-for-profit recycling company,
Do The Right Thing Recycling, will schedule a pick up from your
residence and take the tree to a local nursery for chipping and
composting.
Schedule a tree pick up on the Right Thing Recycling website here
The City of Chicago also offers electronic and household chemical
recycling at Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility
1150
N. North Branch Street. Participating
tree recycling sites:
- (*indicates free mulch locations)
- Bessemer Park, 8930 S. Muskegon Ave.
- Clark Park, 3400 N. Rockwell St.
- Forestry Site*, 900 E. 103rd St.
- Garfield Park, 100 N. Central Park Ave.
- Grant Park, 900 S. Columbus Dr.
- Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1369 N. Sacramento Ave.
- Jackson Park, 6300 S. Cornell Ave.
- Kennedy Park, 2427 W. 113th St.
- Kelvyn Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood Ave.
- Lake Meadows Park, 3117 S. Rhodes Ave.
- Lincoln Park*, Cannon Dr. at Fullerton Ave. (Parking lot
east of Cannon Dr.)
- Margate Park*, 4921 N. Marine Dr.
- Marquette Park, 6700 S. Kedzie Ave.
- McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd.
- Mt. Greenwood Park*, 3721 W. 111th St.
- North Park Village*, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
- Norwood Park, 5801 N. Natoma Ave.
- Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave.
- Riis Park, 6201 W. Wrightwood Ave.
- Rowan Park, 11546 S. Avenue L
- Sheridan Park, 910 S. Aberdeen St.
- Walsh Park, 1722 N. Ashland
- Warren Park*, 6601 N. Western Ave.
- Wentworth Park, 5701 S. Narragansett Ave.
West Chatham
Park, 8223 S. Princeton
For more information on recycling in Chicago visit
www.cityofchicago.org/dss. - Other recycling in Chicago
