If you got a natural Christmas tree this holiday season, whether from a tree lot somewhere in town or you cut it down yourself, local governments are opening tree recycling centers to help dispose of it as the holiday season comes to a close.
“Treecycling” serves multiple purposes. They are often turned into mulch, which can be used in parks and backyards to block weeds, keep soil healthy, and prevent frost heave. Several city recycling programs offer mulch at either a low cost or free of charge to those who bring in their trees.
To make these programs work, be sure you remove all decorations, including those hard-to-spot final ornaments and any last bits of tinsel, and pull out any nails.
And to be clear — these programs are for live Christmas trees only. Artificial trees that are still in good shape can be donated to your local thrift store.
Denver
Treecycle is a seasonal program offered by the city of Denver. Christmas trees are turned into mulch, which is free to Denver residents during a giveaway and compost sale in May.
Collections for this season start Dec. 26 and run through Jan 31. The following locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.
- City & County of Denver Leaf Dropoff - 7301 E. Jewell Ave.
- Havana Nursery - 10450 Smith Rd.
- City & County of Denver Public Works Dept. Central Platte Campus - 1271 W. Bayaud Ave. (Next to the Denver Animal Shelter)
These locations will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 1, for New Years and Monday, Jan. 20, for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
The city also has some Saturday-only drop off locations, open Jan. 4, 11 and 18 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Sloan’s Lake North-West Parking Lot - W. Byron Pl. and Yates St.
- Fred Thomas Park - 2400 Quebec St.
- Evie Dennis School Campus - 4800 Telluride St.
- City & County of Denver Public Works Dept. Central Platte Campus - 1271 W Bayaud Ave. (also open on weekdays)
- Kennedy High School - Newland St. and Brown Pl.
Five other sites will open Jan. 11 and 18 only. Find the full list here.
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs also has a program known as TreeCycle that offers tree recycling during January. This year, residents can recycle trees on Dec. 28 and 29, or Jan. 4 and 5 at six different locations.
- Baptist Road Trailhead - Baptist Rd. & Old Denver Highway
- Falcon Trailhead - South Woodmen Rd. & McLaughlin Rd.
- Cottonwood Creek Park - Dublin Blvd. & Montarbor Rd.
- UC Health Stadium - Barnes Rd. & Tutt Blvd.
- Rock Ledge Ranch - Gateway Rd. & 30th St.
- Memorial Park - Pikes Peak Ave. & Union Blvd.
Recycling is free, but people are encouraged to make at least a $5 donation to benefit youth development nonprofits in the region.
Additionally, Rocky Top Resources at 1755 E. Las Vegas St. will accept trees for recycling from Dec. 26 to Jan. 31, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Arvada
Stenger Sports Complex at West 58th Ave. and Oak St. is accepting trees from Dec. 26 to Jan. 20. Drop-off times are between 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., seven days a week. Residents dropping off trees can load up on free mulch at the same time.
Aurora
Three sites offer collection from Dec. 26 through Jan. 6. Free mulch is available at each drop off location:
- Del Mar Park - 12000 E. Sixth Ave. (At Peoria Street in the west parking lot.)
- Saddle Rock Golf Course - 21705 E. Arapahoe Road (West of E-470)
- Olympic Park - 15501 E. Yale Ave. (East of Chambers Road.)
Boulder County
Western Disposal accepts trees at its Materials Management Center at 2051 63rd Street in Boulder. Trees that are longer than six feet have to be cut in half. Customers with residential curbside compost service can also cut up their trees and place them in their compost bins on compost collection day.
Longmont, Erie, Lafayette, Louisville and Superior all also offer Christmas tree recycling.
Douglas County
Those in greater Douglas County can recycle trees at four sites offering collection from Dec. 26 to 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
There are also additional recycling sites operated by the communities of Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch and Parker. Details here.
Craig
The city of Craig allows residents to drop off their trees at the City Road and Bridge Shop, 1710 Yamp Ave., from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3 and Jan. 6 through 10th, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drop off is limited to only those who get their trash pick-up through the city.
Crested Butte
Most communities turn old trees into mulch. Crested Butte turns them into ash. For a $10 donation, people can drop off their trees for the 12th Night Bonfire and Tree Recycling event on Jan. 6 at the 4-Way Parking lot. Trees must be dropped off by 6 p.m. Any that don’t end up on the bonfire will be chipped and mulched.
Fort Collins
Three sites are offering tree recycling with varying acceptance periods. All three charge $5 per tree, with the Timberline Recycling Center also charging a $5 entry fee.
- Ewing Landscape Materials - 3501 E. Prospect Ave.
- City of Fort Collins: Timberline Recycling Center - Hard to Recycle Materials Yard - 1903 S. Timberline Rd.
- Larimer County Green Waste Program - 5887 S. Taft Hill Rd.
Mesa County
The Mesa County Organic Materials Composting Facility accepts trees at 3071 U.S. Highway 50 in Grand Junction. The facility is open Wednesday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Pueblo
Pueblo city and county residents are invited to drop off Christmas trees at Pueblo Recycleworks at 1595 Stockyard Rd. on either Dec. 26 - 29 or Jan. 3 -5 between 1 and 4 p.m. More information is available at (719) 553-2748.
Weld County
Greeley and Weld County residents can recycle Christmas trees at the Greeley Organic Waste Center on 1130 E 8th St. from Dec. 26 to Jan 31. from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
