Live Christmas Trees
- DO drop your tree off for recycling at one of the many Pittsburgh locations
- DO remove all ornaments, lights, netting, stands, etc. before dropping off for recycling
About These Items
A common Christmas holiday decoration, many people purchase these trees in December and then take them down by the end of January. The City of Pittsburgh provides a free Christmas Tree Recycling program which turns Christmas trees from city residents into free mulch for city residents. Not only does it reduce waste, it also is a great program for anyone with a garden that needs mulch in the spring.
The city runs some daily drop-off sites that are only available for a month after the Christmas holiday, while a limited number of sites will accept drop-offs year round (though these sites have more limited drop-off hours.)
Be sure that your tree has no ornaments, bags, netting, tinsel, lights, stands, etc. on it when you drop it off.
If you put your tree out at the curb, it will be sent to the landfill.
2019-2020 Christmas Tree Drop-off Locations
The city is running a number of daily drop-off locations for 2019 holiday trees . These sites are open 6am-11pm every day until January 26th, 2020:
- Brighton Heights — Jack Stack pool parking lot
- Brookline — Brookline Recreation Center
- Deutschtown — Sue Murray Swimming pool parking lot
- Friendship — Baum Grove Parklet
- Highland Park — Volleyball court parking lot
- Middle Hill/Terrace Village — Kennard Park at Kirkpatrick and Reed Street
- Oakwood — Oakwood Park ball field at Noblestown Road
- Southside — Southside Riverfront Park lower parking lot
- Squirrel Hill South — Prospect Drive roundabout in Schenley Park
There are also 3 locations that will accept your trees year-round, Monday – Saturday, 8am – 1pm:
- Hazelwood — 3rd Division of Public Works
- Homewood West — 2nd Division of Public Works
- Elliott — 5th Division of Public Works
Or, Donate Your Tree to Goats
Allegheny GoatScape accepts donations of Live Christmas trees to feed their goats and donkeys during the winter season. However, they will not take any trees that have preservatives in them (usually added to the water in the tree stand to make the tree last longer while on display) because these preservatives can be toxic to animals. Contact gavin@alleghenygoatscape.org to inquire about donating your tree to GoatScape.
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