Montgomery County Provides Eco-Friendly Christmas Tree Disposal Options

Per Montgomery County: “As the holiday season ends, Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is offering opportunities for live-cut trees to be collected and composted or chipped, keeping trees in a natural state. Trees can be placed for collection starting on the next scheduled recycling collection day.

“Proper disposal of Christmas trees is a simple yet impactful way for our community to take advantage of our County’s environmental practices and to start the new year by thinking green,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Our County is working hard to recycle more and finding new ways to reduce our waste. We can recycle live trees and wreaths into products like mulch that continue to benefit nature. I encourage everyone discarding live trees and wreaths to recycle them.”

Residents of single-family homes and townhomes who receive Montgomery County-provided weekly curbside recycling collection service:

• Live-cut Christmas trees are accepted year-round.
• Residents should place their trees or wreaths curbside by 7 a.m. on their regularly scheduled recycling day.
• All trees, wreaths and other live branches must be free from lights, decorations and plastic.
• Wreaths, roping and other decorations made with live branches and needles also are accepted for recycling and must be separated from any wire and metal used to bind them.
• Live trees with root balls, or that have their roots intact, cannot be collected as yard trim.

Residents of apartments and condominiums should check with their property manager or representative for specific recycling instructions.

Collected trees are taken to the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station, where they are shredded and chipped for mulch.

Residents also can take their trees to the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station and drop them off for recycling. The facility is located at 16105 Frederick Rd. in Derwood.

The County accepts light strings in the electronic recycling drop-off area at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer station.  For information about retailers who accept string lights, visit the DEP website here.

Branches and needles can be recycled at home by placing them under trees and shrubs as a temporary winter mulch. They also can be chopped up and added to a compost pile.

Artificial trees cannot be recycled, but if residents have an artificial tree that is in usable condition and they no longer want it, they can offer it for reuse on a neighborhood list serve, local Freecycle group or similar network.

Residents with County-provided trash service who want to dispose of an artificial tree can schedule a bulk trash pick-up collection online or by calling 311. Residents with privately provided trash service should check with their collection company for instructions.

For more information about Christmas tree recycling collection, visit the DEP website.”