Continue the Holiday Cheer by Recycling Your Christmas Trees | Environment

Once Santa and his reindeer have headed home and Christmas tree needles are scattered on the floor, it is time to toss the once fresh-smelling tree. The City of Memphis Storm Water Program wants to remind you to recycle your Christmas trees.

The City of Memphis Solid Waste Management Department will provide curbside pickup of live Christmas trees beginning Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. You may put your Christmas trees, minus stands, lights, ornaments and tinsel, at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the ninth for pickup throughout the week. All collected trees will be recycled into mulch and compost.

You may also drop off your Christmas trees at the Public Works Collins Yard facility or the Park Services Rodney Baber Facility. 

• Collins Yard is located at 304 Collins Street between Poplar Avenue and Sam Cooper Boulevard and is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 
• Rodney Baber is located at 2215 James Road between N. McLean Boulevard and N. Hollywood Street and is open from dawn till dusk Monday through Saturday. 

All stands, lights, ornaments and tinsel must be removed from the trees prior to drop-off.  Bagged leaves may also be dropped at either of these two locations.

In addition to protecting the storm water system, recycling Christmas trees keeps thousands of pounds of evergreens from being deposited into landfills.  Instead they are recycled into mulch and re-introduced into the environment.

For more information about recycling your Christmas tree, call 636-6851, ext. 1. For more information about the City’s Storm Water Program, call 636-4349.