Done with that Christmas tree? Here’s what to do.

Where to take—or leave—your tree when you’re done with it

By Cindy Widner@CurbedAustin Updated Jan 1, 2019, 12:08am CST

The holiday season is winding down—and so is the usefulness of the noble Christmas tree. But trees are incredibly cumbersome, especially when added up with all the trees from surrounding households, and most of them don’t fit in a compost bin. Fortunately, Austin and surrounding areas have procedures in place for this sort of thing.

No matter how you dispose of your tree, remember to strip it of all decorations first so all you’re getting rid of is the tree, with no pesky, non-compostable tinsel or ornaments in the way. In most cases below, flocked trees (those with artificial snow on them) are not accepted.

Compostability and recycling are key—and, after Jan. 18, you can get your hands on some of those lovely wood chips that the city makes out of the trees it gets at Zilker Park (see below).

Curbside Collection

City of Austin curbside customers can recycle their trees at the curb. Austin Resource Recovery asks that you set out your tree by 6:30 a.m. on your regular collection day, Again, remove all decorations and stands from the tree, and do not place it in a plastic bag. Trees over 6 feet tall should be cut in half.

Zilker Park Drop-Off

If you’re not an City of Austin curbside customer or for some reason just like moving old trees around (volunteer here to help out if that’s really true), you can drop your trees for recycling at Zilker Park. Trees with flocking (artificial snow) are not accepted. Drop-off is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the following dates:

Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018
Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018
Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019
Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019

Trees collected will be turned into mulch and will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Jan. 17, 9 a.m. You will need to bring your own tools and storage containers for loading and transporting the mulch.

Other Free Drop-Off Locations

You can also drop off your tree for free at the locations below, but remember that a contamination fee will be added to any trees with tags, decorations, and/or plastic remaining.

Texas Disposal Systems

TDS Landfill: 3016 FM 1327, Creedmoor, Texas
Eco Depot: 4001 RR 620 South, Bee Cave, Texas

Organics By Gosh

13602 FM 969, Austin, TX 78724 | (512) 276-1211

Walker Aero Environmental (JV Dirt)

3600 FM 973 North Austin, Texas 78725

Whittlesey Landscape Supplies

3219 S IH 35 Round Rock, Texas 78664
629 Dalton Lane, Austin, Texas 78742

Travis County Transfer Station

2625 Woodall Dr. Leander, Texas 78641

Travis County Service Center

6013 Blue Bluff Rd Austin, Texas 78724

Del Valle Softball Complex (Behind the Southwest Rural Center)

3614 FM 973 Del Valle, Texas 78617

Drop-Off Locations with a Fee

Locations listed below have varying fees. Call for more information.

Kinser Ranch LLC.

Starts at $1.00/per tree to $20/per load

For more information: 512-748-0800

10701 Kinser Lane, Austin, Texas 78736

Sid Mourning Tree Service

Pricing varies

Call for fee information: 512-420-0733

3810 Medical Parkway Austin, TX 78756

Austin Wood Recycling

$5.00/per tree

For more information: 512-259-7430

3875 E. Whitestone Blvd., Cedar Park, TX 78613

Good Guys Tree Service

Prices vary

For more information: 512-743-3909

11601 Anderson Mill Rd., Austin, TX 78750

Austin Tree Surgeons

Pickup requests only. Prices start at $25 for pickup and disposal.

For more information: 512-301-4400

Austin Area

Some surrounding cities and suburbs in the Austin area have their own tree drop-off and recycling systems in place. Here are a few, with links to more details.

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