Give Your Christmas Tree Another Life

Annually, Christmas tree recycling keeps nearly 20,000 trees out of area landfills, which contributes to the City’s goal of reaching Zero Waste by 2040.

R e c y c l e  Y o u r  T r e e  C u r b s i d e  or  Z i l k e r  P a r k

AUSTIN, TEXAS – After Christmas trees are carefully selected, decorated and displayed throughout December, they don’t have much use once the presents have been opened.

However, City of Austin residents can give their real trees a second life by recycling them into mulch or compost. Annually, Christmas tree recycling keeps nearly 20,000 trees out of area landfills, which contributes to the City’s goal of reaching Zero Waste by 2040.

For City of Austin curbside customers, recycling Christmas trees is as easy as setting it on the curb. Beginning Dec. 26, 2017, Austin Resource Recovery will pick up all real trees, along with yard trimmings, on regularly scheduled collection days.

All trees for curbside collection that are six feet or taller must be cut in half.  Please set your tree at the curb by 6:30 a.m. The collected trees and yard trimmings are then composted or turned into Dillo Dirt™.

All residents, including those without City of Austin curbside service, can drop off their trees at the Zilker Park Polo Fields between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the following days:

• Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017
• Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017
• Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018
• Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018

Residents should use the following guidelines when recycling their tree:

• Trees sprayed with flocking, or artificial snow, are not accepted
• Remove all ornaments, decorations, lights and the tree stand
• Do not place tree in a “tree bag”
• Only natural Christmas trees may be recycled

Mulch from trees collected at the drop-off location will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to Austin residents on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018.

Austin Resource Recovery provides a wide range of services designed to transform waste into resources while keeping our community clean. Services include curbside collection of recycling, trash, yard trimmings and large brush and bulk items; street sweeping; dead animal collection; household hazardous waste disposal and recycling; and outreach and education.

Austin Resource Recovery offers free, voluntary, and confidential consulting services to help Austin businesses reduce waste and comply with the City’s recycling ordinances. In December 2011, the Austin City Council approved the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan, which is the City’s road map to Zero Waste.

The City of Austin is committed to reducing the amount of waste sent to area landfills by 90 percent by 2040. Learn more at austinrecycles.com.