Christmass tree recycling options have been announced in Delaware.
Christmas trees are no longer accepted for recycling at any Delaware State Park locations.
Christmas trees will be accepted free of charge for recycling from Delaware residents at facilities listed below. Residents may be able to bring in their trees as soon as Dec. 26 and as late as Jan. 30, 2017, but first should contact a facility for specific hours and details.
Trees will not be accepted from commercial haulers or tree vendors without prior approval from a yard waste facility. Also, Christmas tree decorations, including hooks, wire, tinsel and ornaments, as well as wood and metal tree stands, must be removed from all trees before dropping them off for recycling.
“Many Delawareans have been recycling their Christmas trees for many years, and we encourage everyone to establish or continue this eco-friendly tradition,” said Bill Miller, program manager in DNREC’s Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Section. “Recycling Christmas trees that are a product of nature is a wonderful way of giving back to the environment.”
Christmas tree recycling also saves valuable landfill space. At least 23 percent of residential waste in the state is composed of grass, leaves, brush, trees and other lawn maintenance and landscaped materials. Prior to Delaware’s yard waste bans, holiday trees – considered a resource for recycling rather than waste – were deposited in landfills, using capacity while at the same time limiting local markets for mulch and compost products.
Many entities across the state also collect Christmas trees, including various waste haulers and landscapers. Your refuse hauler may offer special collections for Christmas trees in January. Kent County will collect Christmas trees from Jan. 9-13 and Jan. 16-20 (on your regular trash day) for customers in trash districts that have yard waste collection service.
Christmas trees – minus decorations – can be dropped off by Delaware residents for free at any of the following locations:
New Castle County
Polly Drummond Hill Road Community Yard Waste Demonstration Site
Located in the Pike Creek area on Polly Drummond Hill Road, about 1/2 mile north of Kirkwood Highway.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays ONLY, 8 a.m. – sunset, through Jan. 15. The site will close on Jan. 16 and reopen April 1 (More info: www.dnrec.recycling.gov/yardwaste)
South Chapel Yard Waste Site (operated by Holland Mulch)
1034 S. Chapel Street, Newark, DE 19702; phone 302-737-1000
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m. – noon*
Copeland’s Mulch Depot (free for trees purchased at Copeland’s; otherwise $2)
2 Honeysuckle Drive, Stanton, DE 19804; phone 302-633-9536
Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.*
Closed until Jan. 2.
Sussex County
Blessings Greenhouses
9372 Draper Road, Milford, DE 19963; phone 302-393-3273
Hours: Monday-Saturday 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.*
Blue Hen Organics
33529 Fox Run Road, Frankford, DE 19945 (phone 302-732-3211)
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.*
Grizzly’s Landscape Supply Service
18412 The Narrow Road, Lewes, DE 19958 (phone 302-644-0654)
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.*
Mr. Mulch
22288 Coverdale Road, Seaford, DE 19973 (phone 302-629-5737)
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.*
Millville Organic Center
Whites Neck Road (0.5 miles North of Rt. 26) Millville, DE 19967 (phone 302-423-2601)
Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.*
Selbyville Pet and Garden Center (free for active customers within the last 6 months)
38205 DuPont Boulevard, Selbyville, DE 19975 (phone 302-436-8286)
Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.*
Stockley Materials
25136 DuPont Boulevard, Georgetown, DE 19947 (phone 302-856-7601)
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.*
*Please call ahead as businesses may alter their hours of operation around the holidays.
Only Christmas trees from Delaware residents will be accepted for free. Please note that facilities may charge a fee for other yard waste.
Also other locations may also accept Christmas trees for recycling, but charge a fee for the service. For information on other yard waste drop-off sites in Delaware, go to:www.dnrec.delaware.gov/yardwaste and click “Yard waste drop-off options.”
DNREC’s also noted that its Polly Drummond Hill Road yard waste site is closing Jan. 16, 2017, and is tentatively scheduled to reopen on April 1, 2017.
