Phoenix Area Christmas Tree Recycle Locations

Wondering where you can recycle your Christmas tree in the Phoenix Area?

It’s that time of year again…time to recycle your Christmas tree if you are in possession of one of the approximately 40 million live Christmas trees sold each year.  Or more accurately: it’s time to treecycle.  In a national survey, 93 percent of consumers who used a real Christmas tree recycled their tree in some type of community program.

Christmas trees are recycled for five main types of large-scale uses:

• Chipping (chippings are used for various things from mulch to hiking trails)
• Beachfront erosion prevention
• Lake and river shoreline stabilization
• Fish habitat
• River delta sedimentation management

We’ve rounded up all the information for (most) of the Phoenix Metro Cities and their treecycling programs below.

**NOTE** Residents are asked to remove all nails, stands, tinsel, lights and ornaments from trees and most locations request no bagging of the tree. Flocked trees are not typically accepted because the flocking does not break down in the environment.

Apache Junction – The City of Apache Junction is providing two FREE 24-hr Christmas tree drop off points. The Apache Junction sites are available to accept trees for recycling from Dec 26 – Feb 7. Those sites are:

• Prospector Park, 3015 N. Idaho Rd.
• Paws & Claws Care Center, 725 E. Baseline Ave.

Avondale – Residents of Avondale can recycle their live Christmas trees at no charge. Proof of residency is required. Trees can be dropped off at A to Z Equipment, 803 E. Van Buren, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec 26 – Jan 2 with the exception of Dec. 27 and Jan. 1 when this Service Center will be closed in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday, and a modified 8 a.m. to noon drop-off on New Year’s eve (Dec. 31).

Trees may also be left curbside for monthly bulk trash pick-up. For more information about Christmas tree recycling, call Avondale’s Field Operations Department at 623-333-4700

Buckeye – Buckeye is offering recycling on Saturday, January 2 & 9, 2016  8:00 am to 12:00 pm at the following locations:

• Fire Station 701 404 South Miller Road, Buckeye, 85326  Downtown
• Fire Station 702 1911 South Rainbow Road, Buckeye, 85326  Sundance
• Fire Station 703 2582 North Verrado Way, Buckeye, 85396  Verrado
• Fire Station 704 26100 West Beardsley Road, Buckeye, 85396 Festival Ranch
• Fire Station 705 30050 West Tartesso Parkway, Buckeye, 85396 Tartesso

Chandler – Chandler’s Christmas trees collected by the City will be chipped and reused in park landscaping projects.

CURBSIDE COLLECTION* 
*Available to Chandler residents paying for City-provided solid waste services
Place tree at edge of driveway (not in the street) before 6 a.m. on your scheduled recycling collection day. A separate collection truck will collect trees.

• DO NOT block the sidewalk
• DO NOT place the tree in the blue recycling container, or in the street, or alley.
• DO NOT place tree in refuse, recycle or alley containers.
• DO NOT place tree in bags
• DO remove tree stands, nails, ornaments, garland, lights, etc.

NEIGHBORHOOD DROP-OFF SITES – December 26 – January 15.  Chandler residents can drop off their Christmas trees at one of several neighborhood drop-off sites:

• West Chandler Park, 250 S. Kyrene Rd.
• Desert Breeze Park, 660 N. Desert Breeze Blvd. E.
• Arrowhead Meadows Park, 1475 W. Erie St.
• Shawnee Park, 1400 W. Mesquite St.
• Pima Park, 625 N. McQueen Rd.
• Folley Park, 601 E. Frye Rd.
• Chuparosa Park, 2400 S. Dobson Rd.
• Snedigar Sportsplex, 4625 S. Alma School Rd.
• Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Rd.
• Recycling-Solid Waste Collection Center, 955 E. Queen Creek Rd. (closed Tue/Wed)

Live potted Christmas trees can be donated for replanting at City parks by dropping off at the City’s Community Center or can be scheduled for pick up by calling 480-782-2745.

Gilbert – Drop off cut trees between December 26 and January 10 at the following locations:

• Hetchler Park (Gilbert Youth Soccer Complex)
  4260 S. Greenfield Rd.
  Hours: 5:30 A.M. to 10:00 P.M., 7 days a week
• Nichols Park
  700 N. Higley Rd. (SW corner of Higley and Guadalupe Roads)
  Hours: 5:30 A.M. to 10:00 P.M., 7 days a week
• Gilbert’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility
  2224 E. Queen Creek Rd.
  Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Wednesdays and Fridays; 7:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. on Saturdays

Residents may also use the following location between December 26th and January 2nd:

• A to Z Equipment Rental and Sales
  1313 E. Baseline Rd.
  Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday through Saturday
  Exceptions – 12/31/15 from 9 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. ONLY and closed 1/1/16 for New Year’s Day

Live 15 gallon or larger potted Christmas trees can be donated for possible replanting at Town parks.

Drop them off at the Public Works North maintenance yard at 658 N. Freestone Parkway, Gilbert, AZ 85234. Trees can be dropped off outside the maintenance gate. Please call 480-503-6262 for additional information.

Glendale – The Solid Waste Department has established several sites throughout the city where residents can drop off trees for recycling beginning December 26, 2015 through Sunday, January 10, 2016: (Single, unbagged tree, remove all decorations, tree stands, metal stakes and nails.)

• Acoma Park • 53rd Ave. & Acoma Rd.
• Fire Station No. 156 • 67th Ave. & Deer Valley Rd.
• Glendale Heroes Regional Park • 83rd Ave. & Bethany Home Rd.
• Foothills Park • 57th Ave. & Union Hills
• Sahuaro Ranch Park • Southeast corner of 63rd Ave. & Mountain View Rd.
• O’Neil Park • 64th Ave. & Missouri Ave.
• Rose Lane Park • 51st Ave. and Marlette Ave.

Goodyear – Four conveniently located recycling drop-off sites will accept Christmas trees from Dec. 26, 2015 through Jan. 8, 2016, 24 hours a day. Please remove all decorations, tree stands and lighting. Trees are chipped and used for mulch and ground cover for a local farm. Please call Goodyear Environmental Services at 623-932-3010 or visit goodyearaz.gov/trash for more information.

• City Park adjacent to Estrella Mountain High School – 12795 S. Estrella Parkway, 85338
• Eagle’s Nest side of PebbleCreek community – 3645 N. Clubhouse Drive, 85395
• Palm Valley Park – 13133 W. Monte Vista Rd., 85395
• Goodyear Ballpark parking lot – corner of Goodyear Boulevard and Estrella Parkway
  (South of Yuma Road), 85338

Maricopa – The City of Maricopa will be providing a method for residents to safely dispose of Christmas trees. Copa Cares and Public Works will be providing a Christmas tree drop-off site, located at the former park and ride lot at 45862 W. Garvey (1/4 of a mile west of Roosevelt Avenue) from Dec. 26 through Jan. 31. There will be signs to lead residents to the location.

Please remove all ornaments, decorations and tree stands prior to disposal. This site is for Christmas trees only and will not accept brush, trash or yard trimmings. Contractors will not be allowed to use the site during this time.

The trees will be chipped and disposed of. Since the inception of this program in 2009, more than 2,400 trees have been chipped and safely disposed of. For more information, please call John Bemis at (520) 316-6946 or Marcus Mendes at (520) 316-6927. Below, please find a map of the location.

Mesa – Residents can take advantage of one of the many options available to recycle their Christmas trees after the holiday season.  Collected trees are taken to the Salt River Landfill and chipped into nutrient rich mulch and composting products. Benefits from recycling these trees include extending the life of the landfill and reusing natural and limited resources. Here are a list of recycling options available each year:

Drop-off Collection Sites

The following Christmas tree sites will be open 24/7 from December 26th through January 17th:

• East Mesa Service Center, 6935 E. Decatur St.
• Fitch Park, 651 N. Center St. (enter off of 8th St.)
• Superstition Springs Police/Fire Substation, 2430 S. Ellsworth Road
• Mountain View Park, 845 N. Lindsay Road (enter off of Adobe St.)
• Dobson Ranch Park, 2363 S. Dobson Road

***For residential use only.  Tree lot vendors are prohibited – Vendors are asked to call (480) 644-6789 for recycling options.

Green Waste Barrel Program

Residents participating in the Green Waste Barrel Program may place their trees inside their green barrel.  To ensure collection, the tree must fit completely inside the container with the lid properly closed.

Curbside Pick-up

Curbside pickup of your Christmas tree is available for $20.99.  Simply call (480) 644-6789 for more details or to schedule a pickup time. (Unfortunately due to the collection process, trees collected through this curbside option will not be recycled.)

Salt River Landfill

Christmas trees may be taken directly to the Salt River Landfill with a current Arizona driver’s license anytime Monday through Saturday between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the month of January.  The Salt River Landfill is located at Gilbert Road and the Beeline Highway.  There is no charge for recycling your tree but a disposal fee will apply if disposing of other materials during the same visit.

Live Christmas Tree Donation Program

The City of Mesa also accepts the donation of live potted Christmas trees, five feet or taller, for planting at City parks.  Residents may drop them off at the following locations:

• Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities Administration Office
  200 S. Center St., Bldg. 1
  Monday-Thursday 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Red Mountain Multigenerational Center
  7550 E. Adobe St.
  Monday-Friday 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

* Please notify front desk when dropping off live potted trees.  Fresh cut trees are not accepted at these sites.

Peoria – Thanks to residents in Peoria, more than 2,300 Christmas trees were recycled last holiday season. Once the holiday festivities are finished, the City of Peoria is encouraging residents to recycle their Christmas trees. Live trees will be accepted at the various drop-off locations from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2016. Remember to remove tree stands, decorations, hooks and lights. Please do not drop off your tree at city parks or vacant lots or leave trees on the curbside. Artificial trees or wreaths will not be accepted.

Tree Drop-Off Locations:

• Peoria Sports Complex – 16101 N. 83rd Ave. (Entrance Off Paradise Lane)
• Wal-Mart – 7975 W. Peoria Ave.
• Wal-Mart – 21655 N. Lake Pleasant Pkwy.
• Home Depot – 9201 W. Peoria Ave.
• Home Depot – 25650 N. Lake Pleasant Road
• Lowe’s – 8497 W. Thunderbird Rd.
• Lowe’s – 25311 N. Lake Pleasant Rd.

Phoenix – The Public Works Department offers Phoenix residents a green way to take down their Christmas trees and wreaths. Trees or wreaths may be dropped off for recycling at any of the participating Phoenix parks anytime between Saturday, Dec. 26 and Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016. 

NORTH PHOENIX
Deer Valley Park, 19th Avenue and Utopia Road
Paradise Valley Park, 40th Street south of Union Hills Drive
Sereno Park, 56th Street and Sweetwater Avenue
Cactus Park, 38th Avenue and Cactus Road
Mountain View Park, Seventh Avenue south of Peoria Avenue

North Gateway Transfer Station, 30205 N. Black Canyon Hwy. (Dixileta exit)

CENTRAL PHOENIX
Marivue Park, 59th Avenue and Osborn Road
Washington Park, 23rd Avenue and Maryland Avenue
Madison Park, 16th Street and Glenrosa Avenue
Los Olivos Park, 28th Street and Devonshire Avenue
Desert West Park, 67th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard

SOUTH PHOENIX
El Reposo Park, Seventh Street and Alta Vista Road
Mountain Vista Park, 50th Street just north of Ray Road
Desert Foothills Park, Desert Foothills and Chandler Boulevard
Cesar Chavez Park, 35th Avenue and Baseline Road

27th Avenue Transfer Station, 3060 S. 27th Avenue. 

Other Places, Dates and Times
Residents also may bring their Christmas trees to A to Z Equipment Rentals and Sales locations, 4050 E. Indian School Road or 15634 N. 32nd St., during these dates: ?

• ?9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Saturday, Dec. 26 to Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016
• Closed on Sundays and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2016
• Open on New Year’s Eve from 9 a.m. to noon only

* Trees accepted at no charge.

Residents also can drop off their trees to be recycled at the “I Recycle Phoenix” festival from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, at Christown-Spectrum Mall, 1703 W. Bethany Home Road, behind the Walmart. For more information on this event, visit Keep Phoenix Beautiful’s webpage or call 602-262-4820.

Queen Creek – After the holidays, don’t throw your real Christmas tree in the trash or set it on the curb. Live Christmas trees are biodegradable, which means they can be easily recycled for mulch and other purposes.  Saturday, January 2 and 9, 8 a.m. – noon

Scottsdale — Scottsdale is offering both curbside collection and drop-of locations.  All trees collected will be turned into compost or mulch.

Scottsdale’s citywide Christmas Tree Roundup takes place Jan. 4-9, 2016. If you have residential collection service, please have your Christmas tree curbside by 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 4.

If you miss the tree roundup, or do not have residential collection services, you can drop off your tree between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at Scottsdale Ranch Park, 10400 E. Via Linda, or Eldorado Park, 2311 N. Miller Road.

Surprise – The City of Surprise offers four Christmas tree drop-off locations for residents’ convenience.  There is a limit of two trees per household. The lots are open December 26 – January 17 at the following locations:

• Gaines Park – 15837 N. Nash St. (north end of the parking lot)
• Surprise Recreation Campus – 15795 N. Parkview Pl. (across from Valley Vista High School)
• Surprise Farms Softball Park- 17894 Westpark Blvd. (parking lot on corner of N. Willow Canyon Rd. & W. Surprise Loop Dr. South)
• Asante Community Park -16763 W. Vereda Solana Dr. (parking lot at the north end of the park)

Tempe – Residents can drop off Christmas trees 24 hours a day, seven days a week through January 30th at the following locations:

• 1320 E. University Drive (Household Products Collection Center)
• 6111 W. All-America Way (parking lot west of Kiwanis Park Recreation Center)

Trees also will be collected on Sunday, Jan. 3, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. as part of the United Blood Service Saving Arizona Blood Drive at the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway.

Residents may place Christmas trees out for collection during their scheduled week for uncontained/bulky item collection.  Please do not place your Christmas tree, or other uncontained items, out for collection more than 10 days before the Monday of your collection week.   Please refer to the Brush & Bulky Item Collection Schedule to identify your collection week: brush and bulky item schedule.

For more information call 480-350-8265