Christmas Tree Pick Up
Yes, we will dispose of your live Christmas tree at no extra charge. Christmas tree removal is part of your curbside service. Please put your tree out for removal on your regularly scheduled residential garbage pick up day. We will also dispose of your artificial Christmas tree at no additional charge on your regularly scheduled pick up day.
We encourage you to dispose of your Christmas tree within first few weeks of January. Even a well watered tree will dry out eventually and can become a fire hazard. Start your new year off with a safe home. More service details and schedules can be found by selecting your town on our residential page.
Christmas Tree Recycling
Tis the season for a home full of the festive smell of evergreen. Many homes have the tradition of putting their Christmas gifts under a live tree. But with time, Christmas trees become dried out and a fire hazard in the home. There are recycling options when getting rid of your tree. Many municipalities and local villages offer programs to have your tree chipped. Trees are often reused as mulch. Call your village hall to see if they host a chipping program for live trees.
Nearby residents of Homewood-Flossmoor host their annual Homewood Flossmoor Christmas Tree and Holiday Light Recycling program. This event takes place at Iron Oaks in Olympia Fields in late December and mid-January. There are multiple locations for tree and light drop offs.
Christmas Lights Disposal
Deck your halls with Christmas lights of all colors. We all know that the untangling and hanging of lights is no easy task. Knowing what to do with your broken or unusable Christmas lights can also be messy. Being familiar with your Christmas light disposal options, guarantees a bright and eco-friendly holiday.
Use LED lights. These lights make for beautiful Christmas decorations, they last longer than the regular lights, and they are recyclable. Recycling lights prevents the release of Mercury into the environment. And, many bulb materials such as glass and metals, are reusable when the lights are recycled.
Homewood Disposal does not currently collect bulbs or Christmas lights in the curbside recycling program. Please do not place Christmas lights in your recycling cart. Christmas lights clog our recycling process and slow down the recycling and sorting of other recyclables. Some local improvement stores do offer bulb and Christmas light recycling. Some of these businesses include Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Menards. For more information on proper light bulb disposal visit our waste disposal page.