Christmas Tree Recycling :: Who, What, Where, When & Why
Who
The Department of Sanitation, the City’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, and the Louisiana National Guard work with a series of solid waste contractors to ensure your trees get recycled or reused in an efficient way. In Jefferson Parish, the JP Department of Environmental Affairs works in collaboration with the Christmas Tree Marsh Restoration Project to sort, bundle, and reuse your trees.
Why
Christmas tree recycling is available in most parishes across the state but New Orleans has its own unique way (like everything else!) of reusing the trees. Trees collected during the below windows will be picked up, bundled, and repurposed to promote coastal & wetland restoration. Trees are stacked and positioned as retention fences and provide an excellent wave break, particularly in the intercostal waterways. Some parishes even use recycled trees for mulch for their community areas.
What
Only trees that are au natural or free from tinsel, trimmings, or flocking will be collected. Any trees that have lights, decorations, or tree stands attached will be transported to the local landfill, so please take some time and bring that tree back to its original state prior to putting it out by the curb. The city has also asked that no trees be placed in the neutral ground for pickup.
Where & When: GNO
- Orleans Parish
- Residents who receive solid waste collection services from the City’s contractors, Richard’s Disposal and IV Waste, in service areas 1 and 2 respectively, are encouraged to recycle their Christmas trees.
- Residents are asked to place their trees curbside before 5 a.m. on January 6th. Properties in the French Quarter or DDD, serviced by IV Waste as of December 23rd, should place their trees curbside before 4 a.m. on Thursday, January 9th.
- Trees are not to be placed on the neutral grounds.
- Residents seeking more information should call NOLA 3-1-1.
- Jefferson Parish
- Residents in unincorporated Jefferson Parish and the Town of Jean Lafitte should place trees curbside on the evening of January 8th. Christmas trees will be collected curbside through January 11th.
- In an effort to make this year’s Christmas Tree Recycling Program more efficient, Jefferson Parish teams will follow River Birch’s collection trucks and use a tracking app to document where trees were either collected or deemed unsuitable for pickup, as well as create a log of routes driven.
- For more information please call (504) 731-4612.
- City of Kenner
- Christmas tree should be placed on the curb on the evening of January 8th for pickup on January 9th – 11th.
- Trees can also be brought to the drop site at 1803 24th Street on January 18th & 19th from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- For more information please contact Jason Smith at (504) 731-4625.
- St. Tammany
- Drop-off locations for tree recycling are at St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds, 1515 North Florida Street in Covington, and 38153 Dr. T.J. Smith Expy. in Pearl River, during daylight hours until January 31st.
- For more information, please call 985-898-2529.
Where & When :: Outside of GNO
- Ascension Parish, Louisiana
- Residents wishing to dispose of their Christmas trees can drop them off at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center through January 15th.
- The expo center is at 9039 St. Landry Road in Gonzales. After residents enter the expo center’s main gate on St. Landry Road, the drop-off location will be the unpaved parking area on the left side as you enter the property.
- For more information please call (225) 450-1506.
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- While Christmas trees put out by the curb after the holidays will be picked up on residents’ regular “out-of-cart” collection day in East Baton Rouge Parish, those who’d like to recycle their trees have two options.
- In both cases, the trees are turned into mulch and compost that’s used for landscaping and community gardens in parks around the parish.
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- Trees must be placed curbside a minimum of three feet from other garbage and unbundled trash, with tinsel, strands, lights, and ornaments removed from trees.
- Residents can bring their Christmas tree to the parish’s recycling drop-off center at 7933 Tom Drive. The center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Residents will be able to drop off their Christmas trees for recycling at the following locations from December 26th through January 10th:
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- Liberty Lagoon Water Park, 111 Lobdell Avenue
- Highland Road Park, 14024 Highland Road
- Plant Road Park, 19550 Plank Road, Zachary
- Scotlandville Parkway, 3200 Harding Blvd.
- Flannery Road Park, 801 S. Flannery Road
- Zachary Community Park, 20055 Old Scenic Highway, Zachary
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- Monroe, Louisiana
- Live Christmas trees can be recycled from December 26th to January 6th, or residents may drop off trees at the West Monroe Recycling Center behind the West Monroe Police Department.
- Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
- There are several drop-off locations throughout the parish; trees can be dropped off starting in the first week of January.
- Hammond Maintenance Facility, 18104 Hwy. 190 in Hammond (next to Piggly Wiggly Super Market); Hours 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, starting January 6th. Trees should be dropped off using the gate on Falcon Dr. next to Piggly Wiggly.
- City of Ponchatoula residents can drop off trees anytime at 385 North 4th St. by the fence starting January 6th.
- Southeastern Sustainability Center, 2101 North Oak Stree in Hammond, Hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, from January 6th through the day after Mardi Gras.
- Middendorf’s Restaurant in Manchac, 30160 U.S. 51, Akers, LA 70421 starting January 6th
- The Hammond Farmers and Artisans Market will serve as a drop-off location, with more information forthcoming.
- There are several drop-off locations throughout the parish; trees can be dropped off starting in the first week of January.
- St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
- January 9th through February 13t, place tree curbside and call Public Works at 985-52-4815 to request pickup.
- St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
- December 30th through January 16th, residents can drop their trees off at these locations:
- Ormond Sandbag Location, 1901 Ormond Boulevard in Destrehan
- West Bank Bridge Park in Luling
- Trees can be placed curbside for collection from January 13th through January 17th.
- December 30th through January 16th, residents can drop their trees off at these locations:
- Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana :: TBA
- West Carroll Parish, Louisiana :: TBA