Where and How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas Trees in Massachusetts 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.
Massachusetts: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2025
- Statewide: If you do not see your city in the list
below, go to the Massachusetts state website
, you can enter your
city and find the local public works dept contact information to see
what their options are. Tree-cycle after the holidays. More than 200
Massachusetts towns and cities provide for the collection of cut
Christmas trees, which are then recycled into compost or mulch.
- Agawam, MA - Christmas trees will be collected
on the same day as your scheduled trash collection during the
first full week of January. Christmas trees 7'or larger
must be cut in half and placed on the tree belt no earlier than 7 am of the collection day listed above. Trees in plastic bags
will not be collected.
-
Boston, Massachusetts - The Department of Public Works typically
collects and recycles Christmas trees during the first two weeks of
January. Check the Trash and Recycling Day app to find your tree collection dates. Please place your trees on the curb by 6 a.m., without ornaments
or lights. You should put your tree out on your regular trash and
recycling collection day. If your apartment building puts their
trash in a dumpster, trees should be placed next to the dumpster for
collection. If you miss this, the city collects Christmas trees for
recycling in January: call 635-4959, Public Works
will collect Christmas trees for composting from January 7-18.
Remove all ornaments, decorations, and stands from trees and place
trees at the curb by 7 am on your recycling day. Do not put trees in
plastic bags, and don't forget to recycle your holiday catalogs and
wrapping paper as well. Note:
Public Works will pick-up trees beginning around January 7 on your recycling day.
Look Up Your Recycling Day
.
Click here for locations, updated information and more details.
For further information, please call the Boston Recycling Program at
(617) 635-4900.
-
Cambridge, MA - Curbside collection of bare Christmas trees (weather permitting), Holiday trees are collected for recycling the first two weeks in January. Remove
decorations. Do not bag. Decorations and stands must be removed and
trees should not be in a plastic bag. Place bare trees at the
curb by 7 am on collection day or after 6 pm the night before.
Residents can also bring bare trees to the Cambridge Recycling Center
during open hours (Tues/Thurs 4 pm-7:30pm and Sat 9 am to 4pm) from
December 26th to January 31st. If your yard waste, holiday tree,
trash, or recycling are missed, please let us know immediately
by submitting a service request via the Commonwealth Connect app
for iPhone and Android or at Cambridge MA Commonwealth Connec .
Recycling Christmas trees prevents them from getting buried in
the landfill. Trees are recycled into mulch. Every year, City
residents recycle thousands of trees.
Click here for locations, updated information and more details.
- Chicopee, MA - Residents can drop off Christmas
trees at the Chicopee Sanitary Landfill.
-
Concord, Massachusetts - Christmas Trees may be brought to the Composting Site on the dates on their website (usually it's Fridays and
Saturdays until mid-January). If you miss one of these scheduled events Christmas Trees may be brought to the Composting Site whenever it is open
April through November. Wreaths and garlands can not be recycled because of the wire used to shape them. Please dispose of wreaths and garlands with
your regular trash. Location:
Walden Pond Compost Site, 755 Walden Street, Concord, MA. Directions: On Route 126, just across Route 2, on your
left before you reach Walden Pond.
- East Longmeadow, MA - Christmas tree (natural)
or "Holiday Tree" Collection This item may be accepted for curbside Holiday Tree collection or for drop-off at your municipal transfer station/recycling center.
Remove all tinsel, lights, decorations, tree stands and plastic bags before recycling. You can also check your
local Massachusetts recycling website to to learn about how to
recycle your holiday tree yourself. .
- Fairhaven, MA - several days in mid January, Christmas
Tree pick up is one day after regular rubbish pick up day Place
trees at curbside by 7 am on day of pick up. Remove all ornaments
and tinsel. DO NOT PUT IN PLASTIC BAGS. Missed trees may be dropped
off at the gate at the Recycle Center, 5 Arsene Street.
- Foxboro, MA - Curbside - put Christmas trees out on the curb on regular trash pickup days between
from Monday after New Year's Day through mid- January. Always remove decorations, lights and stands.
- Framingham, MA - Department of Public Works says residents can place Christmas trees out on the curbside to be collected on
their trash and recycling days during the second full week in January. Artificial trees can be disposed of at the city's recycling drop-off center
or through bulky item collection.
- Greenfield, MA - Residents have two options:
Greenfield residents who receive curbside trash collection can
place Christmas trees curbside for collection at no charge. The
curbside collection period will be for 2 weeks beginning January
2nd through mid-January. OR
Christmas trees can be brought to the Transfer Station at no charge for Greenfield Residents. There is a ten
dollar charge for non-Greenfield residents.
Transfer Station Hours: Tuesday through Friday 11:00 to 2:30; and Saturdays * 7:30 to 2:00 p.m.
(Will be closed Tuesday, January 1st)
* Beginning mid-January the Saturday hours will be 7:30 to 12:00.
-
Haverhill, MA - Christmas Trees are to be placed curbside BEFORE the second Saturday in January. (may need to confirm by phone- they
don't always update their website)
To ensure proper collection,
please have curbside by 6:00 AM. No plastic wrap, no string lights, no ornaments and no tree stands! This is for natural (LIVE) trees only... no
plastic (FAKE) trees... There is NO drop-off option.. Please limit the
number of trees to 1 per household. There is no need
to setup an appointment

- Holyoke, MA -
Phone: (413) 322-5510. Curbside pick-up during the first two
weeks of January; Your Christmas Tree will be picked up at
curbside sometime during the first three weeks of January. The
trees will be collected on your trash day. Your Christmas Tree
needs to be cleaned of all ornaments, lights, tinsel etc. Avoid
leaving the tree in the snow bank during a snow storm, because
if the tree becomes frozen in the snow bank we will be unable to
pick it up for disposal. They will also have two tree drop off days (weather pending) usually on the second Saturday and Sunday in January,
after New Year's Day,
- Lowell, MA - Christmas Tree drop-off: Lowell does not
provide curbside collection of Christmas Trees.
Lowell BSA Troop 23 is offering curbside collection (see the Boy Scout Troop 23 facebook page
; You can send an e-mail to
[email protected]
, or you can call and leave a message at 978-743-9627. Or
sign up on their form or
see the Troop 23 website
There are 9
convenient neighborhood drop-off sites (see the map on this page
). Drop-off at one of nine sites below from December 26th through the second Saturday in January
North Common, Cawley Stadium, Shedd Park,
South Common, Hadley Park, Callery Park, Gage Field, Elks Club, Ventura Field.
- Marion, Massachusetts -Christmas Tree Disposal - Christmas tree pick-up is scheduled for
early January, have your tree on the curb before the second Monday in January. Christmas trees should
be placed curbside by 7 am on the day of your regularly scheduled
rubbish pick-up. Please be sure trees are free of all ornaments and
tinsel. If you have any questions, please contact the DPW Office at
(508) 748-3540 ext. 101.
- Marlborough, MA
- In past years there were Curbside Christmas Tree Collections But starting 2023,there is no curbside service this year, but for the first 3 weeks
in January, you can take your tree to any of these locations. Questions: Email:
[email protected]. or Phone: (508) 624-6910.
- Memorial Beach parking lot - Causeway Street (off Hosmer Street)near the
intersection of Causeway and Hosmer streets
- Back entrance road to
Ghiloni Park - 265 Boston Post Road East (entrance near Fire Station
3)
- Parking Area across from Kelleher Field - 45 Jefferson
Street
- Jericho parking lot - 410 Brigham Street
- Felton
Conservation Area parking lot - 798 Elm Street (near the Fish and
Game/Muddy lane)
Please contact DPW with any questions at
508-624-6910, or by e-mail at
[email protected].
- Newton, MA - Christmas tree pick-up is scheduled for the
first and second week of January. Christmas trees should
be placed curbside by 7 am on the day of your regularly scheduled
rubbish pick-up. Trees are also accepted at the Transfer Station on
Benson Brook Road. Please be sure trees are stripped of decorations. The City of Newton
collects Christmas trees for recycling during the first two weeks of
January. Collection occurs on your collection day only. Place your
un-decorated Christmas tree out to the curb by 7 am on your
collection day during this time. All decorations and lights must be
removed and trees cannot be in a bag. After this time, the City will
not collect Christmas trees. Residents will be responsible for
disposing of their own trees. They will NOT be accepted as bulk
waste. Or, residents can wait until April and prepare the tree
according to yard waste guidelines. Trees must be free of all
ornaments and tinsel. If you have any questions, please contact the
DPW Office at (508) 748-3540 ext. 101.Or wait
until April and prepare the tree according to
yard waste guidelines
. For more
Waste-Free Holiday tips, check out our guide! Residents can also
request a Christmas tree pickup using 311 or calling the city's customer service if they miss the original collection window. Newton residents can
even wait until April and prepare the tree to be picked up according to the city's yard waste guidelines.
- North Reading, MA -
North Reading will be collecting Christmas trees on Saturday, in early January (Date based on last year's date, I have not been able to confirm it yet). Residents are asked to have their trees out on the curb by 6:30 a.m.
- Northampton, MA - Consult our Holiday Waste Guide (pdf) to help reduce your household
waste this holiday season. The City of Northampton's holiday
tree collection (on-site chipping) will take place from 9am to
12 pm on the two Saturdays, after January 1st, at Smith
Vocational High School. Details will be posted in mid-December. Trees can be brought to Smith
Vocational High School. All trees must be clear of
ornaments, lights, tinsel, plastic bags, netting and metal
wires. Trees will be chipped on site. For more information
contact: The Northampton DPW at 587-1570.
-
Pittsfield, Massachusetts - Pittsfield residents have
two options for disposing of their Christmas Trees:
Option No. 1
- Residents may take their tree to Covanta Pittsfield on Hubbard
Avenue at no cost. Please remove all the tinsel, lights, and
ornaments from the trees, so they can be recycled.
Option No. 2 -
Residents may place their tree with their trash on the curb to
collect as part of regular trash collection. tree pickup
will accompany the regular trash pickup schedule. In the event that
the truck is full, this may result in a bypass and will require pick
up the following week. Residents have the option of leaving their
trees curbside until the next pick-up date. If trees are left out,
please ensure that they do not obstruct pedestrian or vehicle
traffic.
- Plymouth, MA -
Drop off trees: See their annual announcement. It is usually on the second and third Saturday and Sunday a January. As an
alternative: Balboni's Landscape Supply and Green Waste Reprocessing, 135
Camelot Drive, will accept Plymouth residents' Christmas trees for
recycling, free, from December 27 to mid-January. Proof of Plymouth residency
is required. Only clean trees with all ornaments, tinsel, lights and
wire must removed will be accepted. Wreaths are not accepted for
recycling. Each resident participating in the Christmas Tree
Recycling Program will receive (Prices may have changed!) $20 worth of coupons, which can be
redeemed at Balboni's for products or future green waste disposal.
- Reading, MA - Christmas Tree Recycling: This January, the Town is providing two options for recycling Christmas Trees.
Residents who want to recycle their
Christmas trees are asked to bring them to Reading, MA compost facility when open it is open.
In
addition, JRM will collect Christmas trees curbside on your regular rubbish collection day during the week in mid-January.. All decorations,
including tinsel, must be removed from the trees. Trees in plastic bags or trees not completely cleaned of this material will not be picked up or
accepted at the Compost Area. Please note, to use the Compost
Center, you will need a Compost Sticker. For further
information regarding the Compost Sticker contact the Police
Department.
- Revere, MA - Revere will collect Christmas trees during the first two full weeks in January.
- Salem, MA - Due to the coronavirus pandemic
limitations, residents may not drop off trees at Dead Horse Beach this year. Instead, leave trees curbside on trash days on
the weeks after Christmas. You may also drop off your tree in the parking lot of Castle Hill Park (4 Story Road) through the
end of January.
-
Somerville, MA - Christmas Tree Recycling: Place
curbside with regular trash in December and January. Remove all
decorations. Do not place in a plastic bag. Place your natural
Christmas tree out by 7 am on your scheduled collection day in
December and January. Trees picked up through
January are mulched. Trees picked up in February are disposed of as
trash. Pick up free mulch through February. Artificial trees can be
put out with regular trash. Real trees will be picked up by DPW for
mulching in January. Trees put out after January, will be picked up
for regular trash.
- Southbridge, MA - Live (well, formerly live) Christmas trees are picked up
every year by the Department of Public Works during the month of
January. Residents shall place trees at the curb in front of their
property. Trees must be stripped of all decorations (i.e. ornaments,
lights, garland and stands). Residents are responsible for
wind-blown trees and trees which obstruct plowing operations until
such time as the Town removes them.
- Springfield, Massachusetts - The Solid Waste Division will begin collection of Christmas Trees on Tuesday after New Year's day and will continue through the last Friday in
January. Trees will be collected on your recycling day collection. Each address will have two opportunities to have your trees collected. Trees must
have all decorations removed and must be placed in an accessible location on your tree belt, not wrapped in any plastic bags. If there is any snow
it is the resident's responsibility to dig out trees from the snow to allow for collection. There will be no collection of trees after the last
Friday in January, so please review the collection schedule to ensure that you do not miss your last collection date. Trees MUST NOT be placed in any bags or boxes.
Please lay trees on their side. Please do not tie them up with
anything. Items should be placed out for collection no later than
6:00 am, on the day of collection. Following are some guidelines
for recycling during the holiday and winter months:
Please DO
include the following items in your Single Stream recycling mix:
-corrugated cardboard boxes. Flatten and tie in 3' x3' bundles, no
tape. No waxed cardboard.
-paperboard gift boxes
-greeting cards (except those with foil,
metallic inks, or glitter)
-gift wrap, gift bags, tissue wrap
(except those with foil, metallic inks, or glitter).
-paper
shopping bags (any type of handle is okay).
-newspapers/ inserts,
magazines/catalogs
-paperbacks & phone books
-junk mail -
windowed envelopes are OK.
-white and colored paper, computer
paper, shredded paper - place in paper bags.
-all plastic
bottles, jars, tubs and plastic microwave trays/containers under 2
gallons in size
-glass bottles/jars, all colors and sizes -
Please remove and discard all caps
-aluminum, tin/steel cans and
lids and aluminum foil
Please DO NOT include the following items
in your recycling mix:
-ribbons, bows, and tinsel.
-packing peanuts and Styrofoam
-holiday lights
-paint or
aerosol cans or other metal items
-broken or other glass such as
light bulbs, window - auto glass, dishes, glasses, Pyrex, ceramics
-no plastic grocery/newspaper bags
-containers over 2 gallons in
size, motor oil, chemical or foam containers or flower pots
-pizza boxes
-batteries
-used paper plates, cups, napkins,
toilet tissue
For additional information on collection days
residents can call 3-1-1 or (413) 736-3111.
- Stoneham, MA - Stoneham will collect Christmas trees on residents' regular trash days during the first full week in January.
Trees must be out on the curb by 7 a.m.
- Waltham, MA - Christmas trees will be
collected curbside three weeks after Christmas.
- Westford, MA - Christmas Tree Pickup: usually the first 2 full weeks of January.
The Westford MA Fire Fighters Association - 978-392-0028. WFFA collects Christmas trees annually on
designated dates in January. Price:
(Prices may have changed!) $10 per tree via check payable to Westford
Fire Fighters Association. Place check in a clear plastic bag and attach to tree; have trees curbside by 7am on date of pick-up. Call WFFA at (978)
392- 0028 to place your information on the pick-up list.
Electronics (working or non-working):
Westford Electronics Recycling Events: Please see our website or the Westford
Recycling Guide (Mailed to households yearly in June) for events and schedules, typically in the Spring and Fall each year, at the Westford Highway
Garage, 28th North St. Items accepted include computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, air conditioners, postage meters, telephones, televisions,
VCRs, radios, stereo equipment, electronic test equipment, surveillance equipment, video equipment and cameras, and small household appliances (such
as toasters and vacuums), smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, lawnmowers and snowblowers (remove gas and oil). Many items are FREE, some items are
FEE-based; cash or checks only.
- Westwood, MA - Through mid-January, Please have your Christmas tree at curbside by 7AM on your scheduled trash day. ALL TREES must be free of
plastic bags, stands, ornaments/hooks, tinsel and all other materials to be acceptable for collection. If you have any questions, please call the Department of Public
Works at 781-251-2587.
Christmas tree lights (green or
white wire mini lights) - Westford Metals will take lights at 69
Broadway Street, Westford; 978-392-3251; M-F: 7 am3pm.Westwood Department of Public Works will be picking up Christmas trees January 7th through
January 18th.
- Weymouth, MA - Residents should put their Christmas trees out on the curb on trash days during the first 2 full weeks
January. Trees can also be
dropped off at 55 Hollis Street from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m on Monday through Friday. Residents are also permitted to put two additional trash bags
out with their household trash during the two weeks after Christmas.
- Worcester, MA
- For Worcester Residents Only, Phone: 508-929-1300. Email: [email protected].
Weather
Permitting; , Worcester residents may dispose of their non-artificial Christmas tree FREE OF CHARGE at area drop-off sites (weather permitting).
Christmas trees will not be collected at the curb. No other yard waste will be accepted at the sites, only Christmas trees. Trees should
only be dropped when City staff are present at the drop-off sites. Dropping trees off when staff and trucks are not on site is considered
illegal dumping. Proof of residency is required for drop-off.
After Christmas, through the second Sunday in January. Sites will be closed for
the New Year's Day holiday on January 1 and January 2. Times:
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4
p.m.
Sundays (Millbury St. location only) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Christmas
trees. Drop-Off Sites:
Millbury Street
Formerly Ballard Street, next to the VFW Post.
Chandler Street
In the parking lot across from Foley Stadium.
Clark Street
Near the East Mountain Street intersection.
Dropping trees off when staff and trucks are not on site is considered
illegal dumping. Proof of residency is required for drop-off.