How to recycle your holiday tree in DC, Maryland and Virginia

Christmas has come and gone, which means it's time to start thinking about what to do with your tree!

In Washington: Holiday trees and greenery will be collected between December 26 and January 8 and will be composted.

Trees and greenery collected after January 8 will be collected with the trash as space permits in the truck. Please remove ornaments, tinsel and other decorations and put the tree(s) and greenery where your trash and recycling are collected.

In Montgomery County: If you live in a home or townhouse, put your tree at the curb by 7 a.m. on your usual recycling collection day. Residents of apartments or condominiums should check with their property manager or representative for specific recycling instructions.

In Anne Arundel County: Christmas trees will be collected on your regular recycling day to be chipped into mulch. Wrapping paper, tissue paper, greeting cards, seasonal advertisements, gift catalogs, gift boxes, cardboard boxes, soft and hard cover books, newspaper, phone books and magazines can also be recycled.

In Arlington: Christmas trees will be collected January 4-15 to be recycled, and must be placed on the curb no later than 6 a.m. on your regular trash collection day. Trees picked up after January 15 will not be recycled, but can be collected as trash on your regular trash day.

In Fairfax County: If you receive curbside pickup of trash and recycling, you can recycle Christmas trees less than 8 feet tall on your normal collection date. For larger trees, contact your collector for recycling instructions. Christmas trees may also be recycled during the first two weeks in January at either the I-66 Transfer Station or the I-95 Landfill Complex for a $1 processing fee.

In Prince George's County: Starting December 28 through January 29, the County will collect undecorated, unbagged, live Christmas trees left at curbside on your regularly scheduled yard waste collection day. As an added bonus, DoE will chip the trees into free mulch to be given away at the County's spring Mulch Madness event.

In Howard County: Beginning Saturday, December 26 and continuing through Friday, January 15, holiday trees may be recycled seven days a week, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at various drop-off sites. Howard County residents with curbside yard trim collection may set their holiday trees out on their yard trim day for collection through Friday, January 15. Trees will not be picked up on trash collection days during this time for residents with yard trim collection.