Where and How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas Trees in Hawaii after Christmas
2024 and in January 2025

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
not 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.