Where to find Christmas tree recycling in the Philadelphia region

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Monday, January 1, 2024
Philadelphia Chritsmas tree recycling program 2024
Philadelphia's Christmas Tree Recycling Program is set to begin Tuesday.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- If you're ready to toss out that Christmas tree, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control encourages you to recycle your tree.

RELATED: How to recycle your Christmas tree

Not only does Christmas tree recycling save valuable space at landfills, but it can be transformed into mulch or compost.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia's Department of Streets has a Christmas Tree Recycling Program where you can bring your holiday tree to one of their designated drop-off locations around the city. The program runs from January 2 through January 13, but your tree must be untied and have no decorations on it.

Click here for drop-off locations

Several community groups are also accepting Christmas trees for recycling.

See community list here

If you are unable to bring your tree to one of the locations, there are a few groups that offer pick-up services for a fee.

The Philly Goat Project in Germantown is holding its first tree drop off day on January 6.

Delaware

You can recycle your holiday tree for free during Delaware's TreeCycle Event on Jan. 6. The Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control is partnering with the Delaware Center for Horticulture to keep holiday trees working for the environment.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DCH parking lot located at 1810 North Dupont Street in Wilmington. There will be an onsite chipper to produce wood chips that will be used in DCH gardens and other public landscapes throughout Wilmington.

Commercial yard waste sites are also available throughout Delaware for residents to recycle their Christmas trees. Some locations will accept trees at no cost, while others charge for the service.

Check the DNREC website for a list of yard waste drop-off sites.

RELATED: New Jersey governor vetoes bill that would have allowed Christmas tree bonfires

New Jersey

The Burlington County Commissioners are encouraging residents to bring their live Christmas trees to the Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex at 22000 Burlington-Columbus Road in Florence to be chipped and composted.

The County's free "Treecycle" service is offered at the complex Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 5 PM and Saturdays from 7 AM to noon.

When should you take down your Christmas tree?

Many say it should be taken down or packed away after 3 Kings Day, which is on January 6.

It's a debate that pops up every year: When should you take down your Christmas tree? And a lot of people have different opinions.

Many say it should be taken down or packed away after Three Kings Day, which is on January 6.

Others say New Year's Eve before the clock strikes midnight.

However, some say they took it down as soon as Christmas was over so they could get their house back to normal.

One woman's advice was simply to do it "whenever you feel like it."