Here's how to get rid of your Christmas tree in Maryland
BALTIMORE -- As the holiday season comes to an end, many households have the same question: What should I do with my Christmas tree after the festivities are over?
If you have a fir tree drying out and shedding needles in your living room, there are several ways to dispose of or repurpose the tree to keep holiday clean-up to a minimum.
Anne Arundel County Christmas tree disposal
In Anne Arundel County, Christmas trees and wreaths are considered yard waste, which is ground into mulch.
All ornaments and decorations must be removed and tall trees should be cut in half to fit into the truck.
Christmas trees can be left on the curb before 6 a.m. for pickup on collection day.
Residents can also bring their trees to any of the county's recycling centers.
Find more information HERE.
Baltimore City Christmas tree disposal
The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) offers free Christmas tree mulching services for residents between Thursday, Dec. 26, and Saturday, Feb 1, 2025.
Before mulching the tree, all ornaments and decorations must be removed. The tree can be brought to the Sisson Street Residential Recycling Center Monday through Saturday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Officials said residents should bring their own containers or bags to collect the mulch.
Christmas trees can also be disposed of during weekly trash collection until Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
The tree has to be put in the same location as any trash that needs to be collected with all ornaments and decorations removed.
Christmas tree mulching and trash collection will not be available on New Year's Day Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Find more information HERE.
Baltimore County Christmas tree disposal
In Baltimore County, live Christmas trees are collected for recycling during a two-week period in January, according to officials.
All decorations have to be removed before the tree is put outside by the end of the first week. Pick-up dates vary by location and can not be scheduled in advance.
The tree can be left out in the location where residents normally put their trash until it is collected.
After the trees are collected, they are taken to county facilities to be used as mulch.
Residents can also drop off their Christmas tree at one of the county's drop-off locations found HERE.
Carroll County Christmas tree disposal
In Carroll County, Christmas trees can be recycled at the Northern Landfill at 1400 Baltimore Boulevard in Westminster. The landfill will open with regular hours on Thursday, Dec. 26.
Holiday cards and wrapping paper, boxes and holiday lights can also be recycled, according to the Carroll County Recycling Office.
Find more information HERE.
City of Frederick Christmas tree disposal
The City of Frederick will begin its tree drop-off and recycling program on Thursday, Dec. 26, and continue through January 31, 2025.
Residents can drop their Christmas trees off at one of the following locations:
- Lower Parking Lot of Harry Grove Stadium at 21 Stadium Drive
- Yard 2 of Husky Park at 530 Highland Street
- The parking lot behind Westridge Shopping Center at 1100 Key Parkway
- The parking lot of Max Kehne at 1100 W 7th Street
Each designated drop-off spot will be marked with signs.
Ornaments, lights and other decorations should be removed before drop-off along with any plastic.
As part of the city's recycling efforts, the collected Christmas trees will be ground into mulch.
Find more information HERE.
Harford County Christmas tree disposal
Christmas trees can be recycled as yard trim in Harford County. The county turns the trees into mulch which residents can grab for free when available.
All decorations must be removed from the tree before it can be recycled. The tree can be dropped off at one of the following locations:
- Harford Mulch & Compost Facility at 3139 Scarboro Road is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Tollgate Residential Yard Trimp Drop-Off at 703 North Tollgate Road is open December through March on Saturdays only from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Find more information HERE.
Howard County Christmas tree disposal
In Howard County, live and artificial trees can be recycled during Merry Mulch season between Thursday, Dec. 26, and January 18, 2025.
Residents with yard trim collection service can put their trees on the curb the night so they can be picked up as early as 6 a.m. or as late as 5 p.m.
The county has been collecting about 3,000 trees each year, according to Recycling Coordinator Gina Van De Walle. The trees are mostly used to make mulch.
"We started this program because we wanted to see holiday trees come and be mulched and made into compost as opposed to ending up in a Landfill," Van De Walle said.
All ornaments and decorations must be removed from the tree and it must be cut into less than four-foot lengths and tied up.
Christmas trees can also be dropped off at the following locations for recycling:
- Kendall Hardware in Clarksville
- Cedar Lane Park in Columbia
- Rockburn Park in Elkridge
- Old Circuit Court upper parking in Ellicott City
- Schooley Mill Park in Highland
- Alpha Ridge Landfill Wood Waste Area in Marriottsville
- Savage Park in Savage
- Western Regional Park in Woodbine
The mulch is put to good use throughout the county and can be purchased by residents.
"We're putting it back into the soil of Howard County," Van De Walle said.
According to Van De Walle, the program has gotten pretty popular and the county starts to get a lot of trees during the first week of January.
Find more information HERE.
