NEW YORK (WABC) — Now that Christmas is officially over, you might be wondering how to properly dispose your holiday tree — whether it is real or artificial.
With the expansion of New York City’s curbside composting program, New Yorkers no longer have to wait for specific days to dispose their Christmas tree.
City residents can place their real Christmas trees and holiday wreaths at the curb on their weekly composting and recycling day, according to the NYC Department of Sanitation.
The trees and wreaths should be set at the curb next to other compostable materials, including food scraps and yard waste, for collection.
Residents should remove all decorations, ornaments and stands before putting their trees out for collection. Trees should not be wrapped in plastic bags.
ALSO READ | NYC’s curbside composting program expands citywide
Tanya Rivero has the latest on a composting program that is now available in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island after the city previously launched the program in Queens and Brooklyn.
Once collected, trees are chipped, mixed with leaves and recycled into compost or renewable energy for the city.
If you are looking to dispose an artificial tree, you should remove the metal base and trunk and place those parts with other metal recycling.
Alternatively, you can also recycle your Christmas tree through New York City Parks’ annual Mulchfest event.
Between December 26, 2025 and January 11, 2026, New Yorkers can haul their tree to a select Mulchfest location across the city, where they will be turned into wood chips used to nourish trees and make the city greener.
Those who participate in Mulchfest on “Chipping Weekend” (Saturday, January 10 and Sunday, January 11) will get to take a home their very own bag of mulch, which can be used for the backyard or even to make a winter bed for a street tree.
You can find a Mulchfest location near you on the NYC Parks website.
According to NYC Parks, more than 52,500 trees were recycled in 2024.
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