Before more needles fall, here is where to recycle fresh pine trees and wreaths in Hampton Roads.
First off, remember to remove all lights, tree stands and decorations including tinsel, ornaments, and wires. Painted trees or those that are covered in fake snow cannot be recycled.
Christmas lights and most decorations do not belong in a curbside recycling container. Consider donating unwanted, but working ornaments, and decorations to a local school or secondhand store instead.
For now, these are the cities and counties that have announced their natural Christmas tree recycling/pick-up schedules.
- Chesapeake
- December 27-January 13
- Trees will be picked up on the regular trash collection day. Trees placed at the curb between January 3 and 13 will be recycled.
- Gloucester
- Ongoing
- Residents may place Christmas trees in the brush container at any Gloucester County Convenience Center during regular hours.
- Hampton
- Ongoing
- Trees will be picked up at curbside on regular trash collection day.
- Trees can also be recycled at Yard Waste Transfer Site
- Isle of Wight
- Ongoing
- Trees can be recycled at any of Isle of Wight’s Refuse & Recycling Centers.
- Newport News
- Ongoing
- Trees are recyclable as regular brush and may be placed on the curb as brush collection.
- Norfolk
- Ongoing
- Trees are collected for composting on regular trash day as part of Norfolk’s yard waste collection service.
- Natural trees, holiday lights, and artificial trees can be taken to the City’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center.
- Poquoson
- December 25–January 20
- Residents can drop off natural trees to be composted at the Municipal Pool Parking Lot.
- Smithfield
- Through January 12
- Trees can be left curbside, but residents must contact Kathy Bew-Jones at 365-4200 or kjones@smithfieldva.gov and provide your address to have a tree picked up.
- Surry County
- January 1-January 31
- Trees can be recycled at Surry County Collection Centers
- Virginia Beach
- Normal trash collection day
- Trees can be left curbside or taken to the Virginia Beach Landfill and Resource Recovery Center.
- As of Wednesday, Dec. 27, the Municipal Center Recycling Drop-Off on West Neck Road is temporarily closed until the facility is cleaned and containers are serviced.
- Williamsburg
- January 3 and January 9
- The City Crews will be collecting trees curbside on Tuesday, January 3 and Monday, January 9. Trees must be placed at the curb before 7 a.m.
- York County
- January 2-January 6
- Curbside – tree must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on January 4 for the collection that week
For more information about each city's collection information, click here.