Here’s how to recycle your Christmas tree for free — and get free mulch
Christmas trees are more than just a holiday centerpiece.
They add a little magic to your home.
But now that the gifts are opened and the decorations are back in the closet, you’re left singing “Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, what will we do with you?”
Instead of sending it to a landfill, how about recycling it?
Miami-Dade County is offering residents who receive county waste collection services the opportunity to recycle clean, decoration-free Christmas trees until Feb. 1, 2020. Broward County is also offering a similar recycling program through Jan. 20, 2020.
It’s free and environmentally-friendly.
“A Christmas tree is a living plant so it has many other uses even if it just decomposes naturally,” said Tim O’Connor, executive director of the National Christmas Tree Association. “We know fake Christmas trees will last 1,000 years in a landfill. So the people who don’t want to use a plastic straw at Starbucks realize there are benefits to recycling a real tree.”
What will happen to the recycled trees?
▪ Miami-Dade County says the Christmas trees that are collected at the Trash and Recycling Centers will be turned into mulch.
Residents who provide proof of residency within the service area will then be able to pick up the free mulch at one of the Trash and Recycling Centers starting in the spring.
Miami-Dade residents interested in the free mulch can sign up at http://cloud.info.miamidade.gov/christmastree to be notified once it’s available.
▪ Trees recycled in Broward County will be chipped and used for landscaping throughout the county park system.
If you want to recycle your tree this year, here’s what you need to know:
Miami-Dade County
1. Drop-off
You can drop off your clean, decoration-free Christmas Tree at the West Miami-Dade Home Chemical Collection Center, 8801 NW 58 St., or at one of the county’s 10 Trash and Recycling Centers.
The centers are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
▪ Eureka Drive - 9401 SW 184 St.
▪ Golden Glades - 140 NW 160 St.
▪ Moody Drive - 12970 SW 268 St.
▪ North Dade Landfill - 21500 NW 47 Ave.
▪ Norwood - 19901 NW 7 Ave.
▪ Palm Springs North - 7870 NW 178 St.
▪ Snapper Creek - 2200 SW 117 Ave.
▪ South Miami Heights - 20800 SW 117 Ct.
▪ West Little River - 1830 NW 79 St.
▪ West Perrine - 16651 SW 107 Ave.
2. Place your tree at the curbside by zone
Crews will be collecting trees at the curbside between Jan. 7 and Feb. 1. You can use the map found on Miami-Dade County’s website or refer to the schedule below to determine what zone your home falls under:
▪ Zone 1
Location: South side of SW 152nd Street to SW 400th Street
Place tree at the curb by Sunday, Jan. 5
Pick-up week: Jan. 7-11
▪ Zone 2
Location: South side of SW 88th Street to north side of SW 152nd Street
Place tree at the curb by Sunday, Jan. 12
Pick-up week: Jan. 13-18
▪ Zone 3
Location: South side of NW 25th Street to north side of SW 88th Street
Place tree at the curb by Sunday, Jan. 19
Pick-up week: Jan. 20-25
▪ Zone 4
Address: NW 215th Street to the north side of NW 25th Street
Place tree at the curb by Sunday, Jan. 26
Pick-up week: Jan. 27 - Feb. 1
4. Use one of your available bulky waste pickups
Trees placed at the curbside as part of a scheduled bulky waste pickup will not be recycled into mulch.
Miami-Dade County was not immediately available for comment on what would happen to the trees collected in the scheduled bulky waste pickup.
Broward County
The free Chip-A-Tree program will be available at 13 parks through Jan. 20. Those who visit the park to recycle their clean, decorated-free Christmas tree will not have to pay the regular weekend and holiday gate entrance fee.
Tree collection hours vary by park and residents are asked to call ahead.
Here are the participating parks:
▪ Brian Piccolo Sports Park & Velodrome, 9501 Sheridan St., Cooper City
Phone: 954-357-5150
▪ C.B. Smith Park, 900 N. Flamingo Rd., Pembroke Pines
Phone: 954-357-5170
▪ Easterlin Park, 1000 N.W. 38th St., Oakland Park
Phone: 954-357-5190
▪ Fern Forest Nature Center, 201 Lyons Rd. South, Coconut Creek
Phone: 954-357-5198
▪ Markham Park & Target Range, 16001 W. State Rd. 84, Sunrise
Phone: 954-357-8868
▪ Plantation Heritage Park, 1100 S. Fig Tree Lane, Plantation
Phone: 954-357-5135
▪ Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park, 2520 N.W. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale
Phone: 954-357-8801
▪ Snake Warrior’s Island Natural Area, 3600 S.W. 62nd Ave., Miramar
Phone: 954-357-8776
▪ Tradewinds Park & Stables, 3600 W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek
Phone: 954-357-8870
▪ Tree Tops Park, 3900 S.W. 100th Ave., Davie
Phone: 954-357-5130
▪ T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, 3300 N. Park Rd., Hollywood
Phone: 954-357-8811
▪ Vista View Park, 4001 S.W. 142nd Ave., Davie
Phone: 954-357-8898
▪ West Lake Park, 1200 Sheridan St., Hollywood
Phone: 954-357-5161
