TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As the holiday season comes to an end, most families will be stuck with the same question: “What do I do with my Christmas tree?”
Several counties in the area are offering free Christmas tree collection.
In Hillsborough County, residents can drop it off in one piece at the Tampa or Gibsonton yard waste sites.
“They’re open 6 days a week, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. And you need to show your I.D. and a copy of your property tax bill to show you’re one of our solid waste customers,” said Travis Barnes, Hillsborough County Division Solid Waste Management Sustainability and Disposal Operations Director.
Your other option is to leave it at your curb, but you might need a saw.
“Take all of the decorations off,” Barnes said. “You need to make sure you cut it into sections no longer than four feet and we’ll pick it up from the curb from you on your regular yard waste day.”
The department turns your old Christmas trees into compost to recycle into the environment, but you can also compost them for your own yard use.
“You can turn them into bird feeders is an interesting way I’ve seen people do it,” Barnes said.
There are options for throwing away fake Christmas trees too.
“Fake Christmas trees can either be brought to one of our community collection centers and disposed of with bulky waste,” Barnes said. “If it can fit into your curbside cart, you can dispose of it that way but you would need to cut it down into small sections and make sure it fits in your cart.”
Whatever you choose to do, Barnes said just don’t put your old Christmas lights or inflatables in the recycling bin.
Many of the service providers in the Tampa Bay area follow these same rules. Be sure to check with yours to see what to do with your Christmas tree.
Links to other areas Christmas Tree disposal information can be found below.
Click here for Pinellas County
Click here for Lakeland
Click here for Manatee County
Click here for Hernando County
