How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas TreesWhere and How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas Trees in Alberta after Christmas 2023 and in January 2024

How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas Trees

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 Grinding Christmas trees into mulchnot 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.

Alberta: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2024

Local municipality tree recycling Information

I'm working on this now! If you have any links to city or other local Christmas tree recycling, curbside pickup, etc., please let me know! 

Click here to write to me!

 

Calgary

Calgary - curbside collection or drop-off at a recycling center

​Learn how to recycle old live Christmas trees and dispose of artificial ones.

  • Recycling Artificial Christmas trees
  • Recycling real Christmas trees Curbside
    - In your green cart - Put your cut up tree in your green cart
    Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and tree stand; Cut your tree into small pieces, and place in your green cart (making sure the lid can close).
    If your green cart is full:
    Put cut branches in paper yard waste bags and roll tops closed. Set bags 0.5 metres (2 feet) from side of your cart.
    Please note: Trees that are not prepared properly will not be collected.
    Drop-off your tree:
    Christmas tree drop-off locations are open from December 26 to January 31.
    Just take your whole tree to a temporary drop off location for free.
    ** This program is for residential use only.
    Remove all ornaments, lights, garland, tinsel and tree stands
    Do not wrap, tie or bag your tree, even if the bag is labelled as compostable or biodegradable
    If you wrap or bag your tree to transport it, remove the bag before dropping off
    Christmas tree drop-off locations:
    Auburn Bay Off-Leash Area - 52nd St and Auburn Bay Dr S.E.
    Bottomlands Park - St. George's Drive N.E. (soccer field parking lot)
    Bowness - 7937 43 Ave N.W. (in lot behind building)
    Braeside Park - 256 Brookpark Drive S.W.
    Confederation Park - 905 30 Ave N.W. (east parking lot)
    Huntington Hills Athletic Park - 7920 4th St. at Huntstrom Dr. N.E.
    IKEA - 8000 11 Street S.E. (northwest corner of parking lot behind store)
    Marda Loop Communities Association - 3130 16th Street S.W.
    North Glenmore Park - 6615 37 Street S.W. (Weaselhead parking lot)
    Park 96 - 14660 Parkland Blvd S.E.
    Pop Davies/ Ogden Athletic Park - Ogden Rd & Millican Rd SE
    Prairie Winds Park - 44 St. and 54 Ave N.E. (south parking lot)
    Sacramento Parks Depot - 10400 Sacramento Drive S.W.
    Cargary City landfill locations - If you bring any garbage along with your tree then your load will be subject to Calgary regular landfill fees.

Edmonton

  • Edmonton - Curbside collection
    Collection of natural Christmas trees starts usually the first Monday AFTER New Year's Day
    Phone, In Edmonton: 311
    Outside Edmonton: 780-442-5311
    Email [email protected].
    Houses
    Residents are asked to place their un-bagged tree on its side next to their waste collection area by 7am on Monday January 10.
    Trees may be picked up as late as January 24 (weather dependent) and not necessarily on residents' regularly scheduled collection days. Please ensure the tree remains clear of snow and ice for ease of pick up.
    For Christmas trees to be acceptable for composting, all ornaments, tinsel, garlands, nails, screws and tree stands must be removed. Large trees should be cut into two-metre (6.5 foot) lengths.
    Apartment and Condo Residents
    Apartment and condo residents can drop off their natural Christmas tree for free at a Recycling Depot from Tuesday December 26 until Monday near the end of January or an Eco Station anytime during the year.
    Christmas trees should not be placed in or beside apartment recycling or waste bins.

Lethbridge

  • Lethbridge - curbside collection or drop-off at a recycling center
    Curbside collection
    The Christmas Tree Recycling Program runs annually in mid-​​January
    Put your tree at your regular garbage collection location (front or alley) but away from your waste collection cart. Please ensure that all decorations, tinsel and lights are removed from your tree.
    **Please note: Your Christmas tree may be collected over a couple days.**

    Was your Christmas Tree not picked-up?
    • Incorrectly/late placed trees - By 7:00 Saturday, it should be in your alley or front of house, based on where your garbage is collected. The fundraising youth groups follow maps based on that information.
    • Decorations, tinsel, plastic, tree stands not removed - the trees must be totally bare to be ready for the chipper. We instruct the fundraising groups to leave these trees so they do not damage the equipment.
    • Human error (missed) - While we expect the youth groups to be thorough, we also recognize that they're not professional operations crews. Please contact 311 if this is the case. Thanks for your patience!

    Phone: 311 or 403-320-3111 (if outside of Lethbridge)

    Drop-off Trees
    bring your tree to the Waste & Recycling Centre, Monday to Saturday. Residents may choose to use a Large Item Service and schedule a time to have their Christmas trees picked up (trees collected with this option will be disposed of with regular waste). Yard Waste Sites are closed between November 16 - March 31.

Medicine Hat

  • City of Medicine Hat - cdrop-off at a recycling center
    They have 3 tree disposal locations around the city open until the end of January.
    The locations are at
    240 Kipling St. SE,
    172 Altawana Dr. NE and
    the Medicine Hat Mall parking lot near Best Buy.

    People are asked to drop off just the tree, with no plastic bags, decorations or tree stands.

Red Deer

  •  Red Deer - curbside collection or drop-off at a recycling center
    In "normal" years, the Red Deer firefighters collects trees from curbside. There's no update as of mid-December, but check the link at left. 

    If they do not collect curbside this year, residents can dispose of their Christmas tree in one of the following ways:
    Cut it up and place it into your Green Cart. Please ensure to not exceed the max weight of the Cart.
    Small carts have a limit of 59 kg/130 lbs
    Medium carts have a limit of 109 kg/240 lbs
    Extra Large carts have a limit of 152 kg/335 lbs
    Drop it off at the Waste Management Facility
    located at 1709-40 Avenue. A minimum fee of $7 will apply.
    Donate their tree to the Medicine River Wildlife Centre, where it will be repurposed for their animals. Trees must be free of decorations or anything that may harm animals. Pick-up service is not available; residents can drop off their trees at the parking lot of the Medicine River Wildlife Centre, located in Spruceview. Directions are available on their website
    Residents are asked to refrain from leaving trees in the locations provided in previous years.

    Details about fees and hours of operation for theWaste Management Red Deer Facility can be found on their website.


 

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