Here's What to Do Next With Your Christmas Tree

As the holiday season begins winding down, many North Texas cities are making it easier for people to make good use of their Christmas trees.

Instead of sending your Christmas tree to the landfill or burning it, check if your city offers a curbside or drop-off recycling program. Christmas trees and plants used as decorations can be made into mulch or compost.

It is important to remember to remove all decorations, garland and lights from the trees before recycling. Also, do not cover the tree in a plastic bag.

Arlington

Two free drop-off locations are available from beginning Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, through Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022.

Arlington Landfill
800 Mosier Valley Road
7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Monday through Saturday, weather permitting
Once you pass the scalehouse at the landfill entrance, follow the signs to the Living Earth mulching facility. Note that not all the roads at the landfill are paved, and if you enter the landfill when it’s raining, you will encounter mud. In the case of rain, it is recommended that passenger cars use the second drop-off facility at Calloway’s. For questions about the landfill, please call 817-354-2300.

Calloway's Nursery
4940 S. Cooper St.
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Christmas trees should be loaded into one of the containers on the north side of the building during business hours only. Please do not place trees next to the containers.

Christmas Tree Recycling

• Remove lights, ornaments and tree stands, including wooden stands and nails.
• Do not place the tree in a plastic bag.
• Flocked trees are acceptable for recycling.

Trees placed curbside will be collected for trash, not recycling. Trees taller than six feet must be cut in half for trash pick-up.

Free mulch from the trees and leaves collected through the leaf drop-off locations will be available to Arlington residents at the landfill in the spring.

For questions about Christmas tree recycling, visit www.arlingtontx.gov/recycle or call the Action Center at 817-459-6777.

Dallas

The City of Dallas Department of Sanitation will collect Christmas trees with other household waste for disposal this year. Sanitation customers can place Christmas trees at the curb for collection during their designed brush and bulky item collection week. Trees taller than 10 feet tall should be trimmed into sections. Collection week and other rules can be found online.

Dallas residents may drop off Christmas trees at one of the city's four disposal sites.

Euless

Bare trees can be dropped off at Midway Park through Jan. 8. These trees will be turned into mulch to be used throughout the year at the city's parks and medians.

On January 8, the Parks Department will host a mulching demonstration from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Residents may bring one bag to fill with mulch for their gardens. For more information, call 817-685-1650.

Fort Worth

Trees up to 8 feet tall can be placed at the curb on your normal garbage pickup day. Trees taller than 8 feet should be trimmed into sections (each no longer than 8 feet) to be collected during regular curbside brush pickup. Do not put the tree in a plastic bag.

Flocked trees are accepted; artificial trees should be disposed of in your brown garbage cart.

Residents can also drop off trees at one of the city’s four drop-off stations: 

• Brennan Drop-off Station, 2400 Brennan Ave.
• Southeast Drop-off Station, 5150 Martin Luther King Freeway.
• Old Hemphill Road Drop-off Station, 6260 Old Hemphill Road.
• Hillshire Drop-off Stations, 301 Hillshire Drive.

The stations are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Frisco

Curbside recycling is offered as long as trees meet the following specifications.

• Cut trees over 5 feet high into sections - no more than 4 feet in length or 60 lbs each.
• Do not cover the tree with a plastic bag.
• Place trees out on regular trash/recycling collection day, at the edge of the property, at least 3 feet from carts.
• Remove supports (metal and wood), electrical wiring, lights, tinsel, ornaments and all other decorations.

Flocked trees are not accepted. Call Frisco Environmental Services to schedule a bulk pick-up to remove your flocked tree 972-292-5900.

Grand Prairie

Trees free of ornaments, stands, and plastic bags can be recycled for free in the two weeks following Christmas at the landfill. Artificial trees and trees sprayed with artificial snow cannot be accepted for recycling. Acceptable trees will be recycled into mulch, which is free and available at the landfill to all Grand Prairie residents. Trees can also be collected on your normal garbage collection day but will be collected as garbage rather than recycled.

Recycling stations for trees that meet these guidelines are located at:

• Charley Taylor Recreation Center parking lot, 601 E Grand Prairie Rd.
• Parkhill Park parking lot, 5100 Block of S. Robinson Rd.
• Grand Prairie Landfill, 1102 MacArthur Blvd.

Irving

Christmas trees can be turned into mulch after being collected through the city's regular weekly brush and bulk waste pick-up through Jan. 14.

Christmas trees can also be dropped off at the following locations:

• Cottonwood Creek Park, 4051 N. Story Road.
• Hunter Ferrell Landfill, 110 E. Hunter Ferrell Road, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Jan. 1.
• Las Colinas Service Center, 5964 Riverside Drive., south end of the parking lot.
• Southwest Park, 2800 W. Shady Grove Road.

All fresh-cut Christmas trees collected as part of this program will be mulched and made available for a nominal fee at Hunter Ferrell Landfill.

For more information about the Christmas Tree Roundup or other city recycling programs, visit CityofIrving.org/Solid-Waste-Services or call 972-721-8059.

McKinney

The City of McKinney can compost your live Christmas tree and Waste Connections will pick up at your home. Pick-up service not available for businesses or apartments.

• Remove lights and ornaments from the tree.
• Trees with flocking are not compostable. If trees have ornaments or lights, they will not be collected. They must be scheduled for bulky item pick-up.
• Trees should not be bagged.
• Place the tree next to your trash container on your regularly scheduled trash day. If you live in an apartment, see below for locations where you can drop off Christmas trees for recycling.

For questions about Christmas tree recycling, call Waste Connections at 469-452-8000.

Curbside Christmas tree collection and composting will be provided Dec. 27 - Jan 14. Drop-offs are accepted at the following locations.

• Al Ruschhaupt Soccer Fields - Park View Ave. (north of soccer complex parking entrance)  
• Gabe Nesbitt Park - Hillsdale Dr. (south of the PSA McKinney facility and west of baseball fields)

You can compost your natural poinsettias, pine garland and wreaths by placing them in brown paper bags next to your trash container on your regularly-scheduled trash day.

• Remove poinsettia plants from the pot/container and place in brown paper bag.
• Remove lights and ornaments from wreaths and garlands.
• Only organic decorative materials are accepted.

Trees and other materials are taken to the Regional Composting Facility in Plano and converted into a variety of compost products. For questions, please call the Composting Facility at 972-769-4150.

North Richland Hills

• Bare Christmas trees can be dropped off through Jan. 2 at Green Valley Park at 7701 Smithfield Road, or at the parking lot of the Dan Echols Center at 6801 Glenview Drive. Place trees in the marked dumpsters.
• Bare Christmas trees can be placed curbside for recycling by 7 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8 and Wednesday, Jan. 12. Trees placed curbside on other garbage collection days will be put in the landfill and not recycled. If the tree is taller than 5 feet, please cut it in half.

Flocked trees are not accepted for mulching but can placed at your curb for regular trash collection.

Mulch from the recycled trees will be available for residents to pick up at the two drop-off locations from Jan. 5-9, while supplies last. Bring your own container and shovel to load the mulch.

Plano

Christmas tree drop-offs are accepted until Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.

Drop off your live tree at any of these four locations:

• Jack Carter Park - 2601 Pleasant Valley, Plano 75023 (south lot off Pleasant Valley).
• Russell Creek Park - 3500 McDermott Road, Plano 75025 (northeast lot off McDermott).
• Old Shephard Place Park - 1301 Winding Hollow Lane, Plano 75093 (northeast corner of Shepton lot off Plano Parkway).
• Schell Park - 2305 Laurel Lane, Plano 75074 (southeast lot off Laurel).

Flocked (fake snow) trees cannot be recycled. 

Live greenery and trees become Texas Pure Products mulch and compost.

Southlake

Southlake's recycling program runs through Jan. 16, The trees will be turned into wood chips that can be used for mulch. Mulch will be ready to pick up starting Jan. 17.

Trees can be dropped off at Bicentennial Park at 450 W. Southlake Blvd.

The Colony

Residents of The Colony can drop off their Christmas tree for recycling at the south end of the Public Services parking lot through Jan. 9. The drop-off location is in the lot off East Lake Highlands Drive, across from the animal shelter. Signs will be posted with directions to the site.

Trees must have all lights, ornaments, tinsel and bases removed. No artificial or flocked trees will be accepted.

Free compost will be available in the spring on a first-come, first-served basis. additional compost may also be available later in the year. Bring your own containers. For information, call Environmental Services at 972-624-3131.