Overview
- New York City sanitation now collects undecorated trees and wreaths on regular curbside compost days citywide, alongside Parks’ Mulchfest drop-offs from Dec. 26–Jan. 11 with a Jan. 10–11 chipping weekend.
- Houston’s program runs Dec. 26–Jan. 23 at 20 drop-off locations, fewer than prior years, and accepts only bare, natural trees with no paint or flocking and no stands, lights or tinsel.
- Chicago will take real trees at 27 park sites Jan. 3–17, with free mulch available starting Jan. 5 at six locations through the Department of Streets and Sanitation and the Park District.
- Milwaukee offers request-based curbside collection through Jan. 31 and drop-off centers, requires trees be unbagged and decoration-free, and directs wire-backed wreaths to the trash and artificial trees to garbage pickup points.
- Other programs include San Antonio drop-offs Jan. 3–14 with free mulch available mid-January, San Diego drop-offs through Jan. 16 that accept flocked trees, and Baltimore City mulching at Sisson Street through Feb. 7.