With the Christmas holiday coming to a close, please remember to properly recycle your Christmas trees this year. Disposing of live Christmas trees, as well as other trash and yard waste, in Fairfax County parks is illegal and harmful to our environment. Doing so can facilitate the spread of invasive pest species and add additional layers of material that suffocates seeds, seedlings and plants, thereby reducing the regeneration of a healthy forest.
With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services makes proper disposal of live Christmas trees easy and hassle-free. Residents just need to remove all lights and decorations and leave the trees on the curb alongside their trash. Trees will be collected during the first two weeks of January, from Jan. 1 through Jan. 13, and recycled with the mulch made available to county residents.
If residents serviced by the county would like to enjoy their live Christmas tree past Jan. 13, they can schedule a separate brush pickup for trees. Those contracted with a private waste disposal company should contact their hauler with questions regarding collection of Christmas trees following the two-week period for special tree collection.
Residents are also welcome to self-haul their trees to one of the County’s recycling facilities:
- I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road, Fairfax)
- I-95 Landfill Complex (9850 Furnace Road, Lorton)
For more information on how to properly dispose of tree lights, decorations and other holiday items, visit the holiday recycling webpage.
Help protect our local woodlands and parklands by making sure your live Christmas trees are recycled properly.