DENVER — With Christmas upon us and the decorations soon coming down, 'tis the season to figure out what to with the Christmas tree.
Several cities in the Denver metro area have programs to recycle real (AKA not artificial) Christmas trees, either at drop-off points or with regular trash pickup.
All municipalities ask people to remove lights, decorations and tree stands before dropping off a tree.
Please note that not every municipality has posted their locations and times yet. 9NEWS will be updating this article as we receive information.
Denver
Starting Jan. 2, Denver residents can recycle Christmas trees through the city's Treecycle program, which is offered as a drop site service.
Trees that are recycled are turned into mulch, which will then be available for free to Denver residents at the Mulch Giveaway and Compost Sale in May.
The city has three drop-off locations open weekdays from Jan. 2 - Jan. 31 that will be open from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.:
- Cherry Creek Transfer Station -- 7301 E. Jewell Ave
- Havana Nursery -- 10450 Smith Road
- Central Platte Campus -- 1271 W. Bayaud Ave.(next to the Denver Animal Shelter)
Saturday drop-off sites will be open from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Jan. 13, Jan. 20 and Jan. 27.
- Sloan’s Lake Northwest Parking Lot – W. Byron Pl. and Yates St.
- Bruce Randolph – E. 40th Ave. and Steele St.
- Fred Thomas Park – 2400 Quebec St.
- Evie Dennis School Campus – 4800 Telluride St.
- Central Platte Campus – 1271 W. Bayaud Ave.
- Carson Elementary - 5420 E 1st Ave.
- Kennedy High School – Newland St. and Brown Pl.
- Slavens Elementary – 3000 S Clayton St.
Denver Solid Waste Management customers can also set their trees out on their scheduled large item pickup day. Trees left curbside on large item pickup day will not be recycled. Trees need to be at least two feet away from collection carts, cars and other obstacles. Don't put trees inside bags or carts.
Denver residents can also recycle their broken and burned out holiday lights through Saturday, Dec. 30 at the Cherry Creek Recycling Center. The city said people should enter off of Cherry Creek Drive South. They said there's signage directing people on where to go. The recycling center is open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Blue Star Recyclers will also take your holiday lights. They are located at 953 Decatur St. Blue Star is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Blue Star will be closed from Dec. 24 - Jan. 1.
Arvada
Recycling starts Tuesday, Dec. 26 and ends Monday, Jan. 15. Trees can be dropped off from 6:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Stenger Fields, West 58th Avenue and Oak Street
Aurora
Recycling starts Tuesday, Dec. 26 and ends Monday, Jan. 8 at three drop-off locations:
- Del Mar Park, west parking lot -- 12000 E. Sixth Ave.
- Olympic Park -- 15501 E. Yale Road
- Saddle Rock Golf Course -- 21705 E. Arapahoe Road
Boulder
Trees can be put in residents' compost bins or dropped off at the Wood and Yard Waste Center located at 2051 63rd St.
If trees are over 6-feet tall, please cut off the top so that it can fit in your bin.
Broomfield
Drop-off sites opened Dec. 22 and will remain open through Jan. 12:
- Bronco Park, north of the backstop, Westlake Drive and Grove Circle
- Broadlands Park West, northwest side of the parking lot, Sheridan Boulevard and Meadow Mountain Drive
- Lac Amora Park, north of the playground, Miramonte Boulevard and Oak Circle North
- Community Park Ball Fields, west of George Hall Field, Community Park Drive and Lamar Street
- Broomfield Recycle Center, west of the recycle bins, Industrial Lane and Commerce Street
- Meridian Park, north of the backstop, McKay Circle and Park Cove Way
- Anthem Community Park, east side of parking lot, Sheridan Parkway near Lowell
- Tree Branch Recycling Facility, east of the guard shack, 2990 W. 124th Ave.
Holiday trees will be accepted at the Tree Branch Recycling Facility after the Jan. 12 deadline. The hours of operation are Wednesday, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Castle Rock
Recycling starts Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 31 at four drop-off locations:
- Founders Park, 4671 Enderud Blvd.
- Metzler Ranch Park, 4175 Trail Boss Drive
- Paintbrush Park, 3492 Meadows Blvd.
- Douglas County Fairgrounds, 500 Fairgrounds Road
Centennial/South Suburban Rec District
Recycling starts Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 12. Trees will be collected from sunrise to sunset.
- Willow Spring Service Center, 7100 S. Holly St., Englewood
- Cornerstone Park, 5150 S. Windermere St.,, Littleton
Douglas County
Recycling runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 31.
- Bayou Gulch, 4815 Fox Sparrow Road, Parker
- Challenger Regional Park, 17299 E. Lincoln Ave., Parker
- Fairgrounds Regional Park, 500 Fairgrounds Drive, Castle Rock
- Highland Heritage Regional Park, 9651 S. Quebec St., Highlands Ranch
Englewood
Residents can drop off their trees for recycling Jan. 1 through Jan. 31 at:
- Bates/Logan Park, parking lot, 2938 S. Logan St.
- Belleview Park, lower east parking lot, 1225 W. Belleview Ave.
- Centennial Park, south parking lot, 4630 S. Decatur St.
Fort Collins
Residents have three locations they can take their trees. There is a $5 per tree cost at each location.
- Ewing Landscape Materials, 3501 E. Prospect Ave.
- Timberline Recycling Center, 1903 S. Timberline Rd.($5 entry fee along with tree fee)
- Larimer County Green Waste Program, 5887 S. Taft Hill Rd.
Greenwood Village
Between Dec. 27 through Jan. 12, single family homes can put their trees out on their regularly scheduled trash day. City officials said trees need to be separate from the trash.
After Jan. 13, large item pick-ups can be scheduled through Public Works by calling 303-708-6100 before putting the tree curbside.
All other residents can drop off their trees in the north parking lot of Village Greens Park, 9501 East Union Ave. until Jan. 28.
Highlands Ranch
Drop-offs can be made through Jan. 17 at:
- Dad Clark Park, 3385 Asterbrook Cir.
- Redstone Park, 3280 Redstone Park Cir.
- Toepfer Park, 9480 Venneford Ranch Rd.
Lakewood
Recycling goes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 26 through Jan. 7 at Lakewood's Greenhouse, 9556 W. Yale Ave., between Estes and Old Kipling streets.
Littleton
Recycling starts Dec. 26 and runs through mid-January at two drop-off locations:
- Cornerstone Park, West Belleview Avenue and South Windermere Street
- Willow Springs Service Center, 7100 S. Holly St.
Both sites are open every day from sunrise to sunset. Trees will be chipped into free mulch.
Lone Tree
Christmas trees are collected as part of the routine weekly waste collection service for no additional fee.
Longmont
Recycling runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 7 at these locations:
- Roosevelt Park - In the parking lot south of 8th Avenue and Pratt Street, by Roosevelt Activity Pool
- Garden Acres Park - In the parking lot at 18th Avenue and Tulip Street
- Kanemoto Park - In the parking lot at South Pratt Parkway and South Coffman Street
- Centennial Park - In the parking lot at Alpine Street and Verdant Circle
Parker
Residents can drop off trees for recycling from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. through Jan. 29 at Salisbury Park, in the east paved parking lot, at 12010 S. Motsenbocker Road. The trees will be chipped into mulch, which will be available at the same site at no charge.
Thornton
Residents can put their trees at the curb for collection on their regular trash day Dec. 26 through Jan. 6.
The city will also hold a drop-off event from 8 a.m. to noon Jan. 13 at Thornton's Infrastructure Maintenance Center, 12450 Washington St. Use the north entrance with access from 126th Avenue, east of Washington Street. Proof of residency is required.
Westminster
Tree drop-off goes from Dec. 25 through Jan. 25 from 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. at the City Park Fitness Center, 10475 Sheridan Blvd.
Windsor
Windsor residents have a few options to choose from to recycle their trees. A drop-off location will be open from Dec. 26 - Feb. 1. Whole trees can be taken to the Windsor Corporation Yard at 8400 Windsor Rd. from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Please place whole trees inside collection boxes.
Organics Carts: Clean holiday trees may be cut to fit inside your yard waste carts at any time. Lids must be closed.
Support Windsor Girl Scouts: Call to arrange for a pickup of your tree from your home for a small donation. For each Windsor tree collected, SCRR will donate an additional $5. Call 707.696.2181 or email rhoda@knightselectric.com to schedule an appointment.
Curbside Collection: Dec.26 - Dec. 30 Residential customers can place their trees (up to 6 feet tall) on the curb the night before the normal collection day. Trees greater then 6 feet tall must be cut into manageable pieces.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Local stories from 9NEWS
