Christmas trees light up the holiday season, but at some point, the lights have to come down. To help D.C. residents dispose of their trees and other greenery, the city’s Department of Public Works launched its collection program Monday.
Residents can drop off their trees at one of four locations in D.C. — free of charge — from Dec. 28 to Feb. 5. Or they can have them picked up on their regular trash days from Jan. 11 to Feb. 5.
Christopher Geldart, director of D.C. Department of Public Works (DPW), said this year residents don’t need an appointment for the city to pick up their trees.
“All you simply need to do is put your tree wherever your point of [trash] collection is on the day of your collection and we will be out there,” he said.
“It may not happen at the exact same time as trash collection because it won’t go in the same truck, but we will be out there to collect it that day or in the preceding days right after that,” he added.
So where do all those discarded trees go? Into a big wood chipper.
For those not serviced by DPW, they can ask their landlord how to dispose of their trees, or they can just drop them off at the following locations Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Feb. 5:
- Benning Road Transfer Station (3200 Benning Road, NE)
- Fort Totten Transfer Station (4900 John F. McCormack Drive, NE)
- Bryant Street Sweep Shop (201 Bryant St., NW)
- South Capitol Street Graffiti Shop (2700 South Capitol St., SE)
And don’t forget to remove all the lights and decorations.
Click here for WTOP’s complete rundown of how to dispose your trees in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
