What to do with natural Christmas trees after the holidays

Editor’s note: This post will be updated as more towns, counties and organizations announce plans for natural Christmas trees.

Whether it’s for trapping beach sand or grinding it for fresh mulch, consider upcycling that live Christmas tree you’ll be undecorating as the holiday season comes to a close.

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management has released its annual guidelines for using natural Christmas trees as a substitute for traditional sand fending on oceanfront shores.

All decorations must be removed before the tree is placed at the toe of the frontal dune or erosion escarpment, according to a division release.

The trees should not block public or emergency vehicle accesses to beaches, hinder recreational use of a beach, or be placed on private property. Trees should also not be placed in a way that impedes, traps or otherwise endangers sea turtles, nests or hatchlings when the nesting season returns in a few months. 

For more information on how to properly use a live tree on oceanfront property, contact the Coastal Area Management Act permitting authority or appropriate Division of Coastal Management district office.

New Hanover County

New Hanover County residents who do not have residential trash and yard waste pick-up from Wilmington can recycle their Christmas trees and other natural decorations at no charge now through Jan. 31.

“Decorating for the holidays is such an important tradition for so many people, but once the holidays end, it can be hard to dispose of their natural décor in a responsible and environmentally friendly way,” Recycling and Solid Waste Director Joe Suleyman said in a statement. “We’re glad to continue this partnership with The Home Depot and the City of Wilmington which allows living Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands to be recycled and converted into mulch and compost that will be used in our parks, gardens and grounds, helping reduce waste and keeping our environment clean.”

All natural trees, wreaths and garlands must have lights, ornaments, stands and tinsel removed before dropping the trees off at one of three locations in Wilmington: The Home Depot at 5511 Carolina Beach Road, The Home Depot at 210 Eastwood Road, or the New Hanover County Landfill at 5210 U.S. Highway 421 North. Residents are asked to stack recycled items neatly due to limited space at these drop-off sites.

In addition to trees and wreaths, residents are reminded that other holiday-related items such as gift wrap, paper or cardboard boxes, holiday cards, old gadgets and electronics can be recycled at the county’s recycling processing facility, drop-off sites or via the Mobile Hazwagon.

At this time, artificial trees or decorations, string lights, tinsel, foam packaging, bubble wrap, and ribbons or bows cannot be recycled and should either be reused or placed in the trash.

Onslow County

The Onslow County Landfill, and convenience sites in Midway Park in Jacksonville and Folkstone in Holly Ridge will accept real Christmas trees. The real Christmas trees are taken as yard waste. There is a charge of $3 per tree at the convenience sites, and $31 per ton at the landfill, which equals to $0.31 per 20 pounds.

Artificial Christmas trees can also be dropped off at all sites. There is no fee, and the artificial trees are accepted as recyclable metal. Please remove ornaments, lights, tinsel, and other decorations.

All Onslow County residents can recycle their used Christmas lights no matter the condition at any convenience site.

The convenience sites are open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. For more information, call for the main refill 910-989-2107, for Midway Park call 910-353-3980 or 910-327-2444 for Folkstone, or visit the website.

North Topsail Beach

Christmas trees can be dropped off at the designated area at Jeffries Parking Lot, 316 New River Inlet Road now through Jan. 13. Free mulch will be available for pick up after Jan. 16.

Carteret County

Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach will collect natural Christmas trees again this year for dune renourishment. Trees can be dropped off at the visitor center parking lot during business hours.

Ranger Benjamin Fleming reiterated that trees need to be completely free of ornaments, lights, tinsel, and other decorations before donating the tree.

“Also, we can’t accept other yard debris and anything that contains metal is not acceptable. For instance every year we get 30 or so wreaths that are made with metal backing, and we have to just throw those in the dumpster,” Fleming said.

Dare County

Residents are asked to remove all ornaments, tinsel, lights, and other nonorganic items from the natural Christmas tree. Place your tree in the right-of-way adjacent to your property and ensure that it is away from all other objects. No artificial trees or other bulk trash items will be collected.

The Dare County Public Works Department will not pick up any Christmas trees that are left on the curbside within the unincorporated areas of Dare County.

Unincorporated Dare County
Christmas trees should be dropped off at the Dare County Public Works Recycling Center located at 1018 Driftwood Drive in Manteo, at Dare County’s C&D Landfill located at 1603 Cub Road in Manns Harbor, or at the Buxton Transfer Station located at 47027 Buxton Back Road in Buxton. Trees that are dropped off at these locations will be recycled into mulch.

Manteo
Town officials request that residents place their undecorated Christmas trees on the curbside during the town’s regular Monday and Thursday sanitation runs.

Residents within the unincorporated areas of Manteo should drop trees off at the Dare County Public Works Recycling Center located at 1018 Driftwood Drive in Manteo to be turned into mulch.

Duck
The town will collect undecorated, tinsel-free Christmas trees from the curbside Jan. 6 and Jan. 13. Staff ask that trees be placed on the curbside the night before the scheduled collection dates.

Southern Shores
Residents may place their undecorated, tinsel-free Christmas trees in limb and branch piles for collection during the regularly scheduled pickup for their sector. Wreaths will not be collected.

Better Beaches OBX is collecting trees at the Hillcrest Beach parking lot in Southern Shores until Jan. 11 for dune restoration.

Kitty Hawk
The town requests that residents place their undecorated, tinsel-free Christmas trees along the curbside on normal trash collection days where they will be picked up in a timely manner.

Undecorated, tinsel-free Christmas trees can also be dropped off at the Kitty Hawk Bathhouse Beach Access in the grassy area to be used for dune restoration.

For more information about the Town of Kitty Hawk’s collection, click here.

Kill Devil Hills
Kill Devil Hills will be collecting natural and undecorated Christmas trees that are placed along the curbside beginning Jan. 8. Trees must be placed on the curbside right-of-way adjacent to your property no later than Jan. 7.

Nags Head
Nags Head residents are asked to place their undecorated, tinsel-free Christmas trees along the side of the road in front of their property, where they will be collected as part of the town’s monthly curbside bulk item/brush collection service. The town also reminds residents to set their trees in a separate pile from the rest of any bulk items that need to be collected.