RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Some North Carolina localities will soon begin accepting live Christmas trees for recycling.
Wake County
Wake County will accept live trees the day after Christmas as part of the Happy Trails Christmas Tree Recycling Program.
There are eight convenient drop-off locations accepting trees from Dec. 26 until Jan. 28. Trees will be turned into mulch that will be used on trails around Wake County, according to the county.
The following Wake County solid waste convenience centers are open for tree drop-offs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week:
- Site 1 – 10505 Old Stage Road, Garner
- Site 2 – 6120 Old Smithfield Road, Apex
- Site 4 – 3600 Yates Mill Pond Road, Raleigh
- Site 11 – 5051 Wendell Blvd./U.S. 64 Business, Wendell
Additionally, the following Wake County parks will accept trees from 8 a.m. to sunset, seven days a week:
- Green Hills County Park – 9300 Deponie Drive, Raleigh
- Blue Jay Point County Park – 3200 Pleasant Union Church Road, Raleigh
- Harris Lake County Park – 2112 County Park Drive, New Hill
- Lake Crabtree County Park – 1400 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville
Last year, 4,828 trees were dropped off and turned into 83 tons of mulch for the parks’ trails — enough trees to cover more than three acres of the average Christmas tree farm and tonnage equal to about 12 elephants, the county said.
There is no charge to recycle a tree.
Chatham County
Free Christmas tree recycling will be at the Solid Waste & Recycling Main Facility at 28 County Services Road in Pittsboro from Dec. 28 through Jan. 19. Trees can be accepted from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office will be closed on New Year’s Day and Jan. 15 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Only real trees can be accepted. All decorations, lights, stands, and pots must be removed.
After these dates, the facility will accept trees for the regular yard debris charge of $20 per ton with a $2 minimum.
Artificial trees can be placed in the scrap metal recycling bin, but all decorations and lights must be removed. Pre-lit trees cannot be recycled. Those should be placed in with the regular trash.
Durham
Live trees will be accepted for free disposal at Durham’s Waste Disposal and Recycling Center, at 2115 E. Club Blvd., beginning Jan. 2 through Feb. 3.
The hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
Live trees may also be dropped off at no charge at the following seven park locations from 7 a.m. to noon on Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Jan. 20, and Jan. 27:
- C.M. Herndon Park, 511 Scott King Road,
- Valley Springs Park, 3805 Valley Springs Rd.
- Rock Quarry Park, 701 Stadium Dr.
- Merrick-Moore Park, 632 N. Hoover Rd.
- Southern Boundaries Park, 3400 Third Fork Rd.
- Bethesda Park, 1814 Stage Rd.
- Campus Hills (parking lot), 2000 S. Alston Ave.
Solid Waste Management crews will be on site each of these Saturdays to assist.
Fayetteville
For 30 years, Fayetteville has held the Grinding of the Greens Christmas Tree Recycling program that also turns trees into mulch for the Fayetteville Community Garden and other local parks.
The Cumberland-Fayetteville Parks and Recreation will collect the trees from city residents in a special tree pickup that will take place during the week of Jan. 8-12.
Pickups are separate from yard waste, trash, or recycle pickups. Residents should put their trees out for curbside collection by the evening of Jan. 7. All lights, stands, and trimmings should be removed from the tree, the city said.
Residents who live outside the city or miss the pickup may drop off trees at the Fayetteville Community Garden at the corner of Vanstory and Mann Streets just off Old Wilmington Road any day before Jan. 13.
