Need to get rid of your Christmas tree? Here’s where to recycle them

As the holidays wind down, there is always one task left to do that everyone dreads: removing the Christmas tree from the house.

Thankfully, Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties offer an easy way to not only get rid of the tree, but also help county parks. Rather than tossing your tree on the curbside for trash, counties offer the option of recycling Christmas trees to be turned into mulch, some for use in county parks.

Here are locations offered by the counties to drop off your trees for recycling:

Broward County

The county is running their annual Chip-a-Tree initiative, where residents donate their Christmas trees to be chipped and used for landscaping in the county’s park system. All decorations must be removed from the trees, only two trees are allowed per car and they are not accepting artificial trees. The program runs from Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, through Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. There is no fee to enter the parks for those dropping off their tree for recycling.

Drop off locations:

Brian Piccolo Sports Park & Velodrome, 9501 Sheridan St., Cooper City 33024; 954-357-5150

C.B. Smith Park, 900 N. Flamingo Rd., Pembroke Pines 33028; 954-357-5170

Easterlin Park, 1000 N.W. 38th St., Oakland Park 33309; 954-357-5190

Fern Forest Nature Center, 201 Lyons Rd. South, Coconut Creek 33063; 954-357-5198

Markham Park & Target Range, 16001 W. State Rd. 84, Sunrise 33326; 954-357-8868

Plantation Heritage Park, 1100 S. Fig Tree Lane, Plantation 33317; 954-357-5135

Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park, 2520 N.W. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale 33311; 954-357-8801

Snake Warrior’s Island Natural Area, 3600 S.W. 62nd Ave., Miramar 33023; 954-3578776

Tradewinds Park & Stables, 3600 W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek 33073; 954-357-8870

Tree Tops Park, 3900 S.W. 100th Ave., Davie 33328; 954-3575130

T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, 3300 N. Park Rd., Hollywood 33021; 954-357-8811

Vista View Park, 4001 S.W. 142nd Ave., Davie 33330; 954-3578898

West Lake Park, 1200 Sheridan St., Hollywood 33019; 954-357-5161

Palm Beach County

Tree recycling varies for different cities in Palm Beach County.

Boca Raton’s tree recycling program runs from Dec. 26 to Jan 17. Drop off your Christmas tree at Countess de Hoernle Park on Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m or on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park closes early on New’s Year Eve and New Year’s Day.

Delray Beach is also running a similar program: residents can either recycle their stripped trees curbside or drop them off at Barwick Park, Orchard View Park or Knowles Park until Jan. 15.

For those living in unincorporated Palm Beach County, residents can put their live Christmas tree on the curbside during regular yard waste collection day. Make sure it has no decorations or lights on it. Pre-lit and artificial trees are considered trash.

Contact your local municipality to see how they handle Christmas tree recycling.

Miami Dade County

This service is only available for residents who get waste collection services from the county. These centers are open for drop-off 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.

The county also offers a few other options: Residents can drop off their Christmas trees at the West Miami Dade Home Chemical Collection Center any day of the week from 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m or residents can put out their trees on their curbside by zone.

„ ▅Zone 1: Jan. 11-15 (South side of SW 152nd Street to SW 400th Street)Place tree at the curb by Sunday, Jan. 10

„ ▅Zone 2: Jan. 18-22 (South side of SW 88th Street to north side of SW 152nd Street)Place tree at the curb by Sunday, Jan. 17

„ ▅Zone 3: Jan. 25-29 (South side of NW 25th Street to north side of SW 88th Street)Place tree at the curb by Sunday, Jan. 24

„ ▅Zone 4: Feb. 1 - Feb. 5 (NW 215th Street to the north side of NW 25th Street)Place tree at the curb by Sunday, Jan. 31

Residents who participate are eligible for a free bag of mulch if they donate their tree.

MIKE STOCKER/SOUTH FLORIDASUN SENTINEL Beachgoers walk past the giant Christmas tree at A1A and Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale Dec. 24.