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Donate what still looks good, because almost none of it recycles. Artificial trees are not recyclable and thrift stores are the recommended route. A live tree does get composted, but only stripped completely bare, and a flocked tree is rejected outright because the fake snow cannot be processed. Natural wreaths and garlands compost once the wire and ribbon come off. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Special handling
Ornaments, artificial and live trees, wreaths, garlands, and tinsel. Mostly a donation category, with live trees the one genuine composting route and flocking the disqualifier people miss.
Where to Recycle
- Thrift stores and charity shops, for usable decorations and artificial trees
- Municipal live tree collection and mulching programs, in January
- Green bin composting, for stripped natural wreaths and garlands
- Buy Nothing groups and community swaps
- Regular trash, for tinsel and mixed-material items
How to Prepare
- 1Donate usable decorations, since seasonal items resell well and thrift stores want them
- 2Strip a live tree completely: ornaments, tinsel, lights, wire, and the stand all come off
- 3Keep flocked trees out of tree recycling, since the fake snow cannot be processed at compost facilities
- 4Remove wire, ribbon, and plastic from natural wreaths and garlands before composting them
- 5Take batteries out of any lit or musical decoration and recycle them separately
- 6Handle light strings separately, since they have their own mail-in route
- 7Bin tinsel and mixed-material ornaments, which have no recycling stream
Special Instructions
Live trees are the one thing here with a real municipal route, and the conditions are strict for a reason. Programs ask you to remove all ornaments, tinsel, decorations, and stands, and jurisdictions consistently say non-compliant trees are rejected rather than cleaned up. Flocked trees are excluded because the artificial snow coating cannot be processed at compost facilities, which is worth knowing before you buy one. Natural wreaths, garlands, and mistletoe can go in a green bin once the wire frames and ribbons are stripped out. Artificial trees are a different matter: waste agencies describe them as not recyclable and recommend donating them to a thrift store instead. Avoid the widely repeated advice to put an artificial tree in a scrap metal bin, which conflicts with that guidance and with how the trees are actually built.
Environmental Impact
Holiday decorations are used a few weeks a year and last decades if stored properly, so reuse is overwhelmingly the answer and the disposal question mostly reflects impulse buying rather than wear. Live trees composted through a municipal program become mulch and are a genuine closed loop. An artificial tree only pays back its manufacturing footprint if it is kept for many seasons, which is an argument for buying one good one and keeping it rather than replacing the look each year.
Sustainable Alternatives
- Donate decorations and artificial trees to a thrift store
- Store carefully and reuse for years
- Buy a live potted tree that can be replanted
- Repurpose broken ornaments and ribbon for crafts
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
What’s Accepted
Not Accepted
- Artificial trees in any recycling stream
- Flocked trees at tree recycling and composting programs
- Live trees still carrying ornaments, tinsel, wire, or a stand
- Tinsel, which is a contaminant everywhere
- Wreaths and garlands with wire frames or ribbon still attached
Related recycling guides
Recycle holiday decorations
Search recycling centers by city or ZIP, or explore more household materials.