How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas TreesWhere and How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas Trees in Maine 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.

Maine: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2024

For OTHER recyclable items besides Christmas trees, see the following state take-back programs:
Paint: https://www.paintcare.org/drop-off-locations/#/find-a-drop-off-site
Rechargeable Batteries: https://www.call2recycle.org/locator/
Lightbulbs & tubes: https://www.maine.gov/dep/gis/datamaps/brwm_recycling/

Christmas Trees

  • Augusta, Maine
    Christmas Tree Recycling Beginning after the Monday Christmas you can drop off your tree at the Public Works Department on North Street, 7 AM to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday In observance of New Year's Day, Public Works & Hatch Hill Landfill will be closed January 1st or beginning after Christmas you can drop off your tree at the Hatch Hill Solid Waste Disposal Facility, South Belfast Avenue 8 AM to 4:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday. NO ARTIFICIAL TREES ACCEPTED AND ALL TREES MUST BE FREE OF STANDS AND DECORATIONS. NO WREATHS OR GARLANDS. Trees will be accepted through mid April 15 FREE OF CHARGE. THERE WILL BE NO CURBSIDE PICK UP OF CHRISTMAS TREES. Any questions please call Public Works at 626-2435 or Hatch Hill at 626-2440.
  • Bangor, Maine
    Residents may drop off Christmas trees at Bangor Public Works, 530 Maine Ave. Drop off hours are during daylight hours Monday through Sunday. As part of the City commitment to recycle, the trees will be chipped, with some chips being used as a mulch and erosion control throughout the City. The remainder will be sold as bio mass. Please remove all wire and or metal objects from trees. Residents without means of transportation may place their tree curbside. Curbside collection will begin on Monday after January 1st. Curbside collection will end on the second Friday in January. Wreaths will not be collected for chipping either at Public Works compound, or curbside. Discarded wreaths are to be placed curbside with residential trash on the scheduled collection day. For information please call 992-4500.
  • Brewer, Maine
    Following Christmas, the City provides two means of disposal for resident's Christmas trees. We provide a central drop off site in the parking lot near the lower entrance to the Brewer Auditorium off Wilson Street where the trees can be dropped off anytime throughout the month of January. The second option is trees can be taken to the Brewer Landfill during regular business hours and added to the brush pile, free of charge. Trees dropped off at the Auditorium are picked up weekly by the Public Works Department and added to the brush pile at the landfill. Once a year, the entire brush pile at the landfill is ground up by a contractor, at no cost to the City, and the material is all reused.
  • Brunswick, Maine
    Christmas Tree Recycling Collection: Public Works will be collecting Christmas trees curbside from Tuesday after New Year's Day, through the second Friday in January. Collection will follow the regular trash collection route schedule, weather permitting. To help with our Christmas tree collection we ask all to do as follows: The tree must have all decorations removed, be unbagged and have any tree stand removed. Place the tree curbside. The tree will be collected by Public Works staff and not by our trash collector, Pine Tree Waste, Inc. We may not be able to collect all trees on the same day as trash collection but we will continue collecting the routes for two weeks. Please make sure the tree remains free for collection and does not get frozen in place or buried by snow. If you miss our collection or want to recycle your tree sooner you may bring your tree to either the Graham Road Landfill when it is open (Tue. thru Sat., 8 am to 3:30 pm) or you may drop your tree off at the Leaf Drop-Off area on Industry Rd - only during this collection period. The Industry Rd area is available for drop-off 24/7.
  • Cape Elizabeth, Maine
    Christmas trees and Brush, Demolition, Metal Goods, and Wood Waste: These items may be deposited in a designated area pursuant to the fee schedule on these page. The facility will accept up to the equivalent of two (2) pick-up truck loads per day of separated materials. There is no charge for Christmas Trees.
  • Chelsea, Maine; Riverside Disposal - Annual Christmas Tree Pick-up; always a day in mid-January, On Wednesday, mid-January we will be hosting our annual Christmas Tree Pick-up. We will be charging $12.00 per tree and then we will match every fee charged and donate 200% to the Bread of Life. This year, we have partnered with Iron Leaf Farms in Litchfield and will be delivering all of the trees collected to feed their goats. It is very important that there is NO TINSEL, ORNAMENTS OR LIGHTS. If the trees still have tinsel or ornaments on them, we will have to leave them behind.YOU MUST NOTIFY US NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, mid-January TO BE PLACED ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE ROUTE. ALL TREE'S PICKED UP AFTER JANUARY 19TH WILL BE $24.00.
    We can be notified via phone call, (207) 623-2577 
    Riverside Disposal, 700 River Rd, Chelsea, Maine 04330. .
  • Cumberland and North Yarmouth
    The lacrosse team will pick-up and recycle your Christmas Tree for a fee. All proceeds will benefit the community and trees will be recycled and turned into mulch for Cumberland residents. Please put out only trees for collection (no wreaths!). To prepare trees for collection you must remove ALL decorations (including lights, wires, ornaments, hooks, tinsel, and garland) from trees. Trees must be placed curbside before 8 am on the first Saturday in January. You will be notified by email if the scheduled pick-up date will be changed due to inclement weather. To order your Christmas Tree pick-up: please complete the form below to pay by credit card, or download this mail-in form to pay by check. All orders need to be received BEFORE December 29th. Your Christmas Tree will be picked-up in Cumberland and North Yarmouth. You can also donate to our Community Service Fund to help us distribute poinsettias and fruit baskets during the Holiday Season to local shut-ins, bereaved, elderly, and lonely community members.
    In some years, the Lion's Club also collects trees,  Call: 829-5063 or e-mail: [email protected] If you have any questions, please contact us at 829-5063 or e-mail: [email protected]
    Christmas lights: donate them to a local Goodwill store. They can sell broken lights onto the market because of the valuable copper wires usually contained inside. Whatever you do, don't put them in your recycling bin, as they will end up clogging ecomaine's sorting equipment.
  • Gorham, Maine - Phone: (207) 222-1600. Residents can dispose of their cut Christmas trees at Gorham Public Works - 80 Huston Rd. Trees can be dropped off near the silver bullet recycling units. Additionally, local farms may be accepting cut Christmas trees - goats find these to be tasty snacks! Please note: This is for cut trees only; artificial trees are not recyclable and must be disposed of as trash. Curbside pickup of Christmas trees is not available.
  • Old Orchard Beach, Maine - Phone: (207) 934-5714. Christmas Trees may be dropped off at the Transfer Station on Dirgo Drive, during the following days/hours:
    Wednesday - 7:30 am to 2:30 pm; Saturday - 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
  • Saco, Maine - Monday, after New Year's Day, The Public Works department will begin collecting trees placed curbside on public ways beginning Monday after New Year's Day in early January. All trees must be placed out by Monday by 7:00 am, citywide. We begin collection at one of the city and go street to street until every public way has been visited once. If you miss your streets collection, or chose not to wait, the Transfer Station will take trees free of charge for Saco Residents. (please note, we do not enter into private developments or private roads)Should there be a significant snow or ice event, please pull in your tree from the roadway, as we will not collect any frozen or buried trees. Trees are always accepted at the Transfer station (Foss Rd) year round, Free to Saco Residents, during normal business hours.
  • Scarborough Maine - Christmas Tree Disposal in January - Public Works will pick up your discarded Christmas tree throughout the month of January. Place your tree on the curbside (only real trees, nothing artificial) on the same day as your trash collection any week in January. Please place it far enough from the curb that it will not get hit by a car or covered by a snowplow, but still within reach for our crew. Please put it out on the DAY of your trash collection so it doesn't freeze to the ground. If it is snowing on the day you planned to put your tree out for pick up, please wait until the following week. If snowing (or otherwise dangerous road conditions) our crew will be plowing/treating the roads rather than picking up trees. (Priorities!) Please Note: Trash & tree pick up will not be happening at the same time; Public Works is doing tree pickup separate from the Pine Tree Waste trash/recycle pickup. Thank you for your patience! Questions? Email: [email protected]. Phone: 207-730-4400.
  • South Berwick, Maine
    Christmas trees can be brought to the Transfer Station during normal operating hours. The Recycling Center is located on Agamenticus Road. (Take a right off of Portland Street at the monument).
  • South Portland, Maine
    Curbside Christmas tree pickup begins Monday after Christmas and will run through the second Friday in January, (weather permitting - storms such as the one expected on Thursday may delay collection). Please place trees curbside by Monday, morning. Shaking off any new snowfall will help us to see them. Specific dates of both collections will be advertised in the Portland Press Herald and the South Portland Sentry, as well as on the city website and via South Portland's e-community newsletter. If you should miss the collection dates, these items can be brought to the Transfer Facility, free of charge. Trees may also be brought to the Transfer Facility at no charge. 929 Highland Ave South Portland, ME 04106.
  • Waterville, Maine
    Waterville Christmas Tree collection: Trees can be left curbside or dropped off at the Quarry Road Recreation Area. The City of Waterville Department of Public Works will begin picking up Christmas trees the week of January 2; weather permitting. Trees should be left at the curb. Be sure to remove all decorations, tinsel and stands. Residents may also discard trees at the Quarry Road Recreation Area located off North Street. They should be placed on the left side of the road below the I-95 overpass. Trees will later be chipped and reused as mulch. For more information, call the Department of Public Works at 680-4744. More details will be posted on our website and City facebook page as it becomes available.
    Electronics Waste Disposal/Recycling:
    give IT get IT (60 Industrial Street) - For more information, please visit their website or contact give IT get IT directly at 872-2615.
    Pine Tree Waste (2 LaFluer Road)- Disposal fees may apply. For more information, please contact Capitol Transfer/Pine Tree Waste at 873-1219.
  • West Bath, Maine - Unfortunately, they published nothing online about what to do with your Christmas tree, so you will have to call them.
    West Bath Transfer Station, Arthur Reno Road (off State Road), operated by Pine Tree Waste, 888-857-0800 or 883-9777.
    Casella (Pine Tree Waste) maintains a drop-off center where household trash can be dropped off for a small fee. Residents can also drop off recycling for free in addition to curbside recycling.
    Public drop-off hours are: Tuesdays, 3 pm to 5pm Saturdays, 8 am to 2 pm.
  • Westbrook, Maine - Phone: 207-854-0660. Christmas trees will be collected curbside from December 26 - January 12. All decorations and stands must be removed for collection. Please note: This service is not connected to trash collection and generally will not occur on the same day

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