How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas TreesWhere and How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas Trees in Hawaii after Christmas 2023 and in January 2024

How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas Trees

In many urban and suburban areas, Christmas trees are collected from curbside during the first 2 weeks in January. 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 usually accepted, 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 garbage hauler. But scrroll down this page for more specific information and local links.

What happens to the trees? In most cases, the trees are chipped and made into a mulch which is usually made available, free to city or county residents. Important: Never burn your Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Burning the tree may contribute to creosote buildup and could cause a chimney fire.

Tips: Always follow the links (usually the 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 (it's government, remember?). If your area is Grinding Christmas trees into mulchnot specifically mentioned below, contact your trash collection agency and inquire!

Related information:

See this page for local options to easily recycle your Christmas holiday lights

If it has just snowed; see this page about how to make snocones from real snow! Your kids will love it!

Click here for the list of winter sleigh ride locations!

See our easy recipes to make a Chocolate Yule log and click here to make your own low-fat, low calorie but delicious Egg Nog ! Then come back to our other website in March to find a local Easter Egg Hunt for your children ! There are affiliate links on this page. Read our disclosure policy to learn more.

Hawaii: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2023

  • Honolulu, Hawaii
    Remove all ornaments and tinsel (and no flocked trees). Place them at the curb (in your green cart) for pickup on your regular every-other-week green waste collection day; drop them off at any of the City's Refuse and Recycling Convenience Centers seven days a week or at the composting facilities. Do not set out Christmas trees for bulky item collection.
    For households in the cart pickup system, please note that the tree has to fit inside the cart. Cut the tree into lengths up to three feet and trim branches to ensure that it will fall freely from the cart during collection. If cutting the tree is a bother, you can drop it off whole at the nearest City Convenience Center.
    For households on a manual collection route, cut the tree into lengths up to three feet and place at curb on your refuse day. If cutting the tree is a bother, you can drop it off whole at the nearest City Convenience Center.
    Condos and commercial buildings can deliver large loads of trees directly to composting facility - there will be no tip fee charge over the holidays for Christmas trees, courtesy of the City. Contact the City's Recycling Office at 768-3200 to arrange a delivery
    Click here for collection schedules .
    Click here for list of City Convenience Centers. 
    Please be aware that the State has discontinued the special treecycling sites at parks and other locations around the island. Do not bring your trees to these sites. Use curbside collection or look for the list of City drop-off sites. Condos and commercial buildings can deliver large loads of trees directly to composting facilities - there will be no tip fee charge over the holidays for Christmas trees, courtesy of the City. Contact the City's Recycling Office at 768-3200 to arrange a delivery.

    Refuse & Recycling Convenience Centers
    Open seven days; 7:00am - 6:00pm
    Closed Christmas and New Year's Day
    Ewa, Geiger Road
    Laie, Kamehameha Highway
    Wahiawa, Wilikina Drive (no green waste, take to Hawaiian Earth Recycling)
    Waianae, Plantation Road
    Waimanalo, Hihimanu Street
    Waipahu, Waipahu Depot Street
    Kawailoa Transfer Station (Haleiwa), Kawailoa Road (green waste not separated for recycling)
    Kapaa Transfer Station, Kapaa Quarry Road (Mon - Fri: 10am-6pm. Sat-Sun: 7am-6pm.)
    Keehi Transfer Station (Mon-Fri: 10pm-6pm. Sat: 7am-6pm.) (accepts only combustible waste and auto batteries; No appliances, compressed tanks or tires.)

    Composting Sites
    Hawaiian Earth Recycling
    Wahiawa, 65-1101 Wilikina Dr.
    Mon-Sat, 7:00am - 4:30pm
    Sun, 8:00am - 12:00pm
    682-5895
     
  • Kauai, Hawaii -
    there are green waste drop-off areas of the Hanalei, Hanapepe, Kapa�a and Lihu�e refuse transfer stations, from 7:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and the Kekaha Landfill from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    A drop-off point for tree recycling is also at Kaua�i Nursery and Landscaping on Kaumuali�i Highway in Puhi, seven days a week. Trees can be loaded onto the truck that iss parked in the KNL driveway.
    Be sure your tree is stripped of tinsel, flocking and ornaments . Green waste sites close during inclement weather. .
  • Maui County, HI - drop off or curbside collection
    Christmas tree recycling drop-offs are being offered at
    • Central Maui and Upcountry: Maui EKO at the Central Maui Landfill is open Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • East Maui, Molokai and Lanai: The Hana, Lanai and Molokai landfills are open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
    • Kihei: Kihei Compost accepts Christmas trees for $5. Money raised supports school gardening with Grow Some Good. Kihei Compost is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • West Maui: Olowalu Transfer Station is open Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
    All decorations, including tinsel, must be removed from trees before they can be dropped off for recycling. Most services are free, unless noted otherwise.
    For curbside pickup, the Rotary Club of Upcountry Maui hosts a donation-based Christmas tree roadside collection service for Paia, Haiku, Pukalani, Makawao and Kula from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Jan. 2. A $10 to $20 donation per tree will go toward supporting local Rotary projects. To schedule a pickup, call (808) 878-2177 by Thursday, December 30.
    Please Kokua, Christmas trees are a fire hazard; it is illegal to dump trees in gulches or at community centers, recycling centers, parking lots and roadsides.
    For more information, call the Recycling Hotline at (808) 270-7880.
  • Oahu Christmas Tree Disposal -
    Automated Cart Collection:
    Place in green cart for composting (no flocked trees),
    Remove all ornaments and tinsel.
    Cut tree into lengths up to 3 feet and trim long branches so that the lid closes completely.
    Manual Collection:
    Cut tree into lengths up to 3 feet and bundle together.
    Place at curb on pick up day.
    Condos and Commercial Buildings:
    Condos and commercial buildings may deliver large loads of Christmas trees directly to Hawaiian Earth Recycling. Tip fees will be waived over the holidays.
    For deliveries call 768-3200.
    Note: For automated cart collection and manual collection instead of cutting the tree, dropt it off whole at most Convenience Centers, Kapa'a Transfer Station, or Hawaiian Earth Recycling Wahiawa.

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