Where and when you can recycle your live Christmas tree in Vancouver

For those who opt for real Christmas trees, there is the extra task of properly discarding them from your home once all the festivities have wrapped up.

And like so much else this year, the process will be a little different. Still, there are ways to safely and properly dispose of your tree, on a variety of days.

Here’s how, when and where to recycle your Christmas tree in Vancouver.

Curbside Residential Collection – January 9/10

Live, cut Christmas trees will be collected from homes with City Green Bin service on Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10. Residents should set out their tree before 7 am on Saturday, January 9.

How to prepare trees for pickup:

• remove all lights, decorations and tinsel
• lay the tree on its side in the same location that you set out your bins
• place the tree so it is visible from the street or lane
• leave the tree loose (no bag, string or rope).

Free Drop-off at Vancouver South Transfer Station or Landfill

Live, cut Christmas trees can be dropped off for free until January 31. All lights and decorations should be removed before recycling the tree. Collected trees are turned into nutrient-rich compost, and the compost is then sold to residential gardeners, commercial landscapers and to municipal parks departments.

Free drop-off locations:

• Vancouver South Transfer Station, 377 West Kent Avenue North
• Vancouver Landfill, 5400 72^nd Street in Delta

Small Cut Pieces Accepted with Regular Green Bin Collection

Residents can cut their Christmas tree into small pieces that fit easily into the Green Bin. Pieces should be less than 10 cm in diameter and 50 cm long and the lid of the Green Bin must close completely.

• See also:
  • Vancouver’s annual Polar Bear swim to take place in bathtubs this year
  • Where to find the most dazzling holiday lights in Burnaby
  • Over 100 stunning Christmas trees are lit up in West Vancouver this month