AUSTIN, Texas — With Christmas over, many families are looking for something to do with their Christmas trees. Cities across Central Texas offer free Christmas tree recycling for those who want to get rid of their trees but also want to help the earth.
Residents can drop off unflocked Christmas trees to be repurposed and made into organic mulch and compost.
In Austin, trees must be all-natural, and the city does not accept or recycle artificial trees. Christmas trees cannot be covered in artificial snow and must be free of lights, ornaments and metal, such as tree stands.
On Saturday, Austin Resource Recovery held the first of three planned drop-off events at Zilker Park.
“We do give trees a second life by recycling them,” Rosario Lopez, a public information specialist with Austin Resource Recovery, said. “We keep them in the ecosystem and the environment for longer, which prevents from adding more to the landfill.”
Anyone can drop their tree off at the park, even if they are not Austin Resource Recovery customers. The same rules apply for trees dropped off at Zilker Park as trees set out for curbside collection. Make sure your tree is free of lights, decorations, wire and garland.
“We want to divert everything from the landfill that we can,” Lopez said. “We do have our goal of zero waste by 2040, and this is just one of the ways that Austin can help recycle and contribute to that goal.”
For Mark Franzen and his family, it has become a post-Christmas tradition.
“We want to try and do what we can to prevent the landfill getting filled up and waste, and it’s pretty simple to do,” Franzen said. “It’s just kind of a tradition that we’ve adopted for several years.”
Starting on Dec. 26, city customers can place all-natural trees curbside to be collected on their regularly scheduled compost collection day. Customers who choose to do this should set their tree out by 5:30 a.m. with all ornaments, decorations (including tinsel), lights and tree stands removed. Residents should cut any tree that is 6 feet or taller in half. Flocked trees will not be accepted, and all trees set out for recycling should not be placed in plastic bags.
The Parks and Recreation Department and Austin Resource Recovery will host two more holiday tree recycling events at Zilker Park, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, and Sunday, Jan. 5.
The city said the mulch produced from the recycled trees will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Jan. 8 at 9 a.m.
According to Texas A&M Forest Services, mulch made of recycled Christmas trees can be used for landscaping in yards and gardens for soil erosion prevention, nest-building materials for birds and natural water habitats for fish and wildlife in ponds or lakes.
Franzen said he uses recycled mulch all the time at his house.
“It works great in our garden and fills the yard and different spaces,” he said.
The trees that brought festive joy this Christmas season are now getting a second life in gardens and outdoor spaces across Central Texas.
“It is fun to see different things that have a second and even third and fourth life,” Franzen said. “It is easy to do, and seeing the end result is fun.”
Texas Disposal Systems
Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) also offers free Christmas tree recycling at various collection sites through Jan. 31.
TDS says a $55 contamination fee will be charged for trees that haven’t been cleaned properly.
When bringing loads to drop off, TDS recommends wrapping materials in a tarp or blanket for easier transportation. Per Texas law, Christmas trees must be properly tied and secured to the vehicle.
For cities with TDS green waste service, TDS offers curbside collection of unflocked Christmas trees for recycling from Dec. 26 to Jan. 31, 2025. For area-specific guidelines, visit the TDS Christmas tree recycling page.
TDS will turn the trees into organic mulch and compost. The finished products will be available for purchase at the Garden-Ville stores throughout Central Texas.
Here are a few Christmas tree collection sites in Central Texas:
- TDS Landfill: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. until Sunset. Sunday closed. 3016 FM 1327 Creedmoor, 512-421-1363
- TDS & Garden-Ville Bee Cave: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday closed. 4001 RR 620 S. Bee Cave, 512-219-531
- TDS & Garden-Ville Georgetown: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday closed. 250 W.L. Walden Drive, Georgetown, 512-930-8282
Travis County
Travis County offers free Christmas tree recycling between now and Jan. 10. It only accepts natural trees, no plastic or artificial ones, or trees with flocking or artificial snow. Residents need to remove all ornaments, decorations, lights and tree stands, as well as nails, staples and metal. Any tree taller than 6 feet has to be cut in half, and residents should not place the tree in a “tree bag” or plastic bag.
There are four tree drop-off locations in Travis County:
- West Service Center, 4501 FM 620, Austin
- Del Valle Adult Softball Complex, 3614 FM 973, Del Valle
- 1431 Collection Station, 2625 Woodall Drive, Leander
- East Service Center, 6011 Blue Bluff, Austin
Williamson County
In Williamson County, residents can dispose of their Christmas trees for free by dropping them off for recycling at the Williamson County landfill in Hutto between now and Jan. 4. The county is asking residents to remove all lights and ornaments before they take the tree to the landfill.
The landfill has special hours next week to accommodate residents trying to recycle their trees.
- Monday and Tuesday: 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday: Closed for New Year’s Day
- Thursday and Friday: 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.