New Zealand: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2023

Where and How to Recycle or Dispose of Christmas Trees in New Zealand after Christmas 2024 and in January 2025

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 not 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.

New Zealand: Where and How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays January 2023

In general, Kiwi's may:

Green Waste Collection

• If you have a private garden bag or bin collection, check if they accept Christmas trees.

Check with Christmas tree farms

Some Christmas tree farms accept trees purchased from anywhere, for free, to use for mulch or compost.

• Misa Christmas Tree Farm - They offer a Christmas Tree collection and recycle service Auckland wide seven days a week, just select your Auckland location below and book online.  We also accept drop offs at our farm. Please note there is a $25 disposal fee and drop offs are accepted strictly at drop off times only, view times and book here. All trees are taken to be composted or chipped via the Avondale Transfer Station.
  Mount Gabriel Mangere Bridge Christmas Tree Farms - Drop off your undecorated tree here
  3 Creamery Road, Mangere Bridge, Auckland, New Zealand. Phone: (09) 294 6177. Email: [email protected]. Free Christmas Tree Recycling
  At the end of the festive season, take your tree to one of our farms and we will mulch it to use on our fields. Our gates are open just after Christmas and in January so come on down and throw yours on the pile, even if it wasn't bought from us. Its our commitment to having a sustainable and environmentally friendly Christmas tree farm.
• Mount Gabriel Drury Christmas Tree Farms - Drop off your undecorated tree here
  201 Sutton Road, Drury, Auckland, New Zealand. Phone: (09) 294 6177. Email: [email protected]. Free Christmas Tree Recycling
  At the end of the festive season, take your tree to one of our farms and we will mulch it to use on our fields. Our gates are open just after Christmas and in January so come on down and throw yours on the pile, even if it wasn't bought from us. Its our commitment to having a sustainable and environmentally friendly Christmas tree farm.

Local collection services

• Christmas Tree Removal Auckland - Taking bookings for your Christmas Tree removals! Contactless, hassle free way to recycle! Book online here:
  Email: [email protected].
  Options below:
  First Sunday in January
  Second Saturday and Sunday in January
• Mike's Xmas Trees  - Christmas tree collection and removal, book on their website.
  Cox's Bay Car Park, 55 West End Road, Herne Bay, Auckland. Phone: 021 0867 5500. Email: [email protected]. Open: See their website or Mike's Xmas Trees facebook page. 
  Collects from selected areas. This was the 2021-2022 season list - check their website for updates and booking. East Auckland.  - Ellerslie, Epsom, Glendowie, Glen Innes, Greenlane, Kohimarama, Meadowbank, Mission Bay, Mt Wellington, Newmarket, Onehunga, One Tree Hill, Orakei, Panmure, Parnell, Point England, Remuera, Royal Oak, St Heliers, St Johns & Stonefields
  Central & West Auckland Suburbs
  Avondale, CBD, Eden Tce, Freemans Bay, Grafton, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay, Hillsborough, Kingsland, Mt Albert, Mt Eden, Mt Roskill, New Lynn, Pt Chev, Ponsonby, Sandringham, St Mary's Bay, Te Atatu, Three Kings & Westmere
  North Shore Suburbs
  Bayswater, Beach Haven, Belmont, Birkdale, Birkenhead, Castor Bay, Devonport, Forrest Hill, Glenfield, Greenhithe, Hauraki, Hillcrest, Hobsonville, Milford, Narrowneck, Northcote, Stanley Pt, Sunnynook, Takapuna, Unsworth Heights & Wairau Valley.

Drop-off at your local transfer station (Be sure to call them first!)

You can take Christmas trees to some transfer stations for a fee. Make sure you check opening hours and locations.

Here are some examples - always check their prices and current requirements:

All Christmas trees dropped off at these locations will be turned into mulch and compost. We'd recommend checking pricing and open hours before you go.

• Great Barrier Island - Anamata Community Recycling Centre (Aotea / Great Barrier Island)
• Great Barrier Island - Claris Landfill (Aotea / Great Barrier Island) Auckland Council transfer station Devonport - Devonport Community Recycling Centre
• Helensville - Helensville Community Recycling Centre
• Warkworth - Lawrie Road Community Recycling Centre
• Glendene - Rubbish Direct Ltd
• Wellsford - Rustybrook Road Community Recycling Centre
• Waiheke - Waiheke Community Resource Recovery Park
• Henderson - Waitakere Community Recycling Centre
• Henderson - Waitakere Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station Auckland Council transfer station Waiuku - Waiuku Community Recycling Centre

 

• Pikes Point Transfer Station
  81 Captain Springs Road, Onehunga
  0800 240 120
  
  
• Devonport Community Recycling Center
  27 Lake Road, Devonport
  09 445 3830
  
  
• Central Landscape Supplies
  419 Rosebank Road, Avondale
  09 828 5533
  
  
• East Tamaki Transfer Station
  33 Neales Road, East Tamaki
  09 274 5287
  
  
• Papakura Transfer Station
  25 Inlet Road, Takanini
  09 299 8153
  
  
• Waitakere Refuse and Recycling Centre
  50 The Concourse, Henderson
  09 301 0101

For Easter egg Hunts, Children's Consignment Sales, Local Farm Markets and other types of Farms, click here.