It’s not always easy to part with your Christmas tree once the holidays are over, and you might wonder how to get rid of old Christmas trees. Can you throw Christmas trees in the trash? While the answer is yes if you think the only option is to throw Christmas trees out, think again! Whether it’s finding a way to repurpose it or discard it, several methods can put your old tree to use one last time.
Possible Ways to Dispose of Old Christmas Tree
When considering how to get rid of a Christmas tree, it’s good to remember there is more than one way to do it, with some methods being unique and unconventional. Disposing of Christmas trees can be more than just throwing them out into the woods, so consider some of these ideas:
- Treecycling: This gives your tree new life by turning it into mulch or other shredded organic materials. The pine needles themselves can also be swept or removed and used as mulch in the garden.
- Leave out for trash or large item pickup: The simplest and easiest way to get your tree out of sight is to leave it out to get taken to the dump or recycling plant. First, make sure your local garbage services pick up trees after the holiday is over.
- Compost your tree: Your Christmas tree can be chopped into small pieces and gradually added to a compost pile throughout the winter season to maintain a healthy ratio of brown and green parts in your compost.
- Get creative: Your old tree can be turned into decorations or a wildlife sanctuary if you have extra yard space. The tree as a whole can be repurposed, or the branches can be removed, and the trunk can be cut into small sections and used as a border for your garden.
- Throw into a lake: If you’re wondering where to throw Christmas trees away, you can consider a local lake to dump the tree. These trees can create a safe haven for many aquatic creatures, which can benefit the ecosystem as a whole.
Common Steps of Disposing
Disposing of an old tree can be a messy process, though it doesn’t have to be with a bit of preparation! Knowing how to throw out Christmas trees will make cleaning up for the holidays a less stressful event, especially when you know how to do so efficiently and with minimal mess. Here are some typical steps in tree disposal, both on how to dispose of live Christmas trees and fake ones.
Live Christmas Tree
Step #1 Remove decor: Before you dispose of Christmas trees, be sure to remove all ornaments, lights, and decorations to be saved for use next year. You don’t want these to get caught up in the tree or broken during the process of removal.
Step 2#: Drain water: Drain any water remaining in the tree stand to avoid spillage.
Step #3: Bag your tree. This can be done using a Christmas tree removal bag or a large trash bag. The removal bags can be tidily hidden beneath the tree skirt and conveniently pulled up around the tree once you’re done with it, minimizing mess. Alternatively, a large garbage bag can be placed over the top of the tree and tied off at the trunk, so when it’s flipped over for removal, most of the needles will be caught in the bag.
Step #4: Research disposal methods. Look up methods that are common in your area to get rid of your tree. This can be letting your tree get picked up by recycling or getting your tree picked up by services that then turn the tree into mulch or other outdoor organic material. Trees can also be cut up at home and placed into the yard waste pickup container.
Step 5#: Clean any fallen needles. Finish cleaning up by removing any stray needles that have fallen during transportation. Sweeping is the best method for this, as the needles can cause clogging issues in some vacuums.
Fake Xmas Tree
Step #1 Remove decor: Remove all decorations, lights, and ornaments.
Step #2 Put away (or dispose of): If your fake tree has served many faithful years and it’s time for it to be dumped, look up when large item pickup is available in your area so you can set the tree outside near the trash at the right time. If you have access to a shared dumpster, such as in an apartment complex, you can dispose of Christmas trees easily. Other ways to get rid of your fake tree include packing it up and donating it to thrift stores or charities. You can also consider repurposing the tree to turn it into a wreath or garland that can be used differently in the future.
How to Get Rid of Old Christmas Trees in Different Countries
Christmas traditions differ regionally and worldwide, which also applies to how people get rid of their trees and when they do it. These are some general rules of thumb for how and when some countries dispose of their trees.
- Leave your tree up until January 6th: Most Americans will leave their tree up for a few weeks after the holiday, but some who stick close to tradition will take it down specifically on January 6th, known as “Epiphany” which is significant because that is the day the three kings arrived in Bethlehem after Jesus’ birth, and therefore is the “official” end of Christmas.
- Dump or Treecycle: After the festivities, most Americans across different regions will dispose of their live Christmas trees by simply throwing them out. However, recycling or “treecycling” is gaining in popularity as people become more mindful of their environmental footprint. Treecycling fees do apply, but it usually costs between $5 to $20, depending on the weight of the tree.
- Disposing of artificial trees: How to throw out Christmas trees, whether live or artificial, is handled similarly across the country: they’re usually directly put into a dumpster or left out after Christmas for special large item pickup. Many people will use their artificial trees for many years, and if it’s in good enough condition, artificial ones can be donated to thrift stores or home improvement stores once they’ve served their purpose.
- People in the UK also follow the tradition of keeping the Christmas tree and decorations up through Epiphany, but there is some debate on whether the Twelfth Night is January 5th or 6th. In other European countries, it is the 6th, but most people in the UK will take down their trees and decorations on January 5th.
- Sustainably disposing of trees in the UK is deemed very important, and many people will recycle them or use a wood chipper in which the chips can be used in parks and trails. Recycling centers and collection services also exist and are often free of charge to encourage people to recycle their trees instead of throwing them in the trash. If your Christmas tree still has roots attached, attempting to replant the tree for use next year is also gaining popularity, though this doesn’t always work.
- Artificial trees are used for as long as they can before being repurposed as other Christmas decor (such as wreaths or garlands) or being thrown into the trash.
- Canada’s traditions regarding disposing and taking down their Christmas trees are similar to Americans, with most Canadians taking down their tree on the Epiphany, January 6th.
- Canadians can also get their tree picked up curbside to get recycled or taken away with the trash or drop it off at a recycling center. Artificial trees are to be dumped into the trash or donated.
- Traditionally, Australians will take down their tree on Epiphany day, January 6th, as it’s considered bad luck to take down your tree beforehand.
- Free Christmas tree collection is available in local councils in Australia, which will use these trees to recycle for mulch or rehab mine sites to help with soil erosion. These places may designate a specific collection day or even come directly to pick up the tree. Trees, which are to be cut into small pieces, are also commonly recycled in their green waste bin or shredded for mulch to use in the home garden.
- Artificial trees are usually stored and reused for years to come but cannot be recycled when they start getting raggedy. When that happens, they are to be thrown into the trash or donated.
Unusual Ways to Repurpose your After-Holiday Tree
If you don’t like the idea of figuring out where to get rid of Christmas trees and are interested in some unique ways how to dispose of a Christmas tree, consider some of these methods:
- Donate your tree: trees can be donated to local zoos to enrich enclosures for animals. Additionally, man-made lakes can use a tree thrown into them to provide a hiding space for small fish.
- Use your tree for decor: old trees can be used to make an evergreen garland or other festive holiday decorations. Just a bit of creativity can go a long way!
- Cut the trunk: Cut up the trunk into small rounds and use them as borders for your garden plots or other decor ideas for the yard.
What Is the Best Way to Get Rid of the Christmas Tree?
To minimize the mess, the best way to get rid of Christmas trees is to bag them up before taking them out of your house. Then, it can be left to dump (either in the woods or for trash pickup) or recycled by getting it chopped for mulch.
When to Throw Away the Christmas Tree?
When to throw away Christmas trees can differ widely based on the family or cultural traditions. Generally, Christmas trees are disposed of starting the day after Christmas and into the first few weeks in January.
Can We Throw Christmas Trees in the Trash?
Christmas trees, both live and fake, can be thrown in the trash or left by the trash for large item pickup.