Overview
- New York City’s Mulchfest runs Dec. 26–Jan. 11 across the five boroughs, with Chipping Weekend on Jan. 10–11 and curbside compost collection also available on regular pickup days.
- Houston’s drop-off program operates Dec. 26–Jan. 23 at about 20 sites, with officials noting fewer locations than past years and all collected trees processed into mulch or compost.
- Chicago will accept natural trees Jan. 3–17 at 27 parks, and free mulch will be available starting Jan. 5 at six designated pickup sites.
- Austin hosts Zilker Park drop-offs on Dec. 28 and Jan. 3 with estimated annual participation of about 2,000 trees, curbside collection begins Dec. 26, and free mulch will be offered Jan. 8.
- Other active efforts include Milwaukee curbside collection through Jan. 31, San Diego drop-offs through Jan. 16 that accept flocked trees, San Antonio drop-offs Jan. 3–14 with mid-January mulch pickup, and multiple Central Maryland and Dallas–Fort Worth options with county- and city-specific rules.