AUSTIN, TEXAS – Starting December 26, Austinites can recycle their natural Christmas and holiday trees. Annually, holiday tree recycling keeps nearly 20,000 trees out of area landfills, contributing to the City’s goal of reaching zero waste by 2040.

For City of Austin curbside customers, recycling a holiday tree is as easy as setting it at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on the regularly scheduled compost collection day. All trees for curbside collection that are six feet or taller must be cut in half. All Austinites, including those without City of Austin curbside service, can drop off their trees at the Zilker Park Polo Fields between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the following days:

• Saturday, December 31, 2022
• Saturday, January 7, 2023
• Sunday, January 8, 2023

 
These tree recycling guidelines must be followed, both curbside and at Zilker Park:

• Trees sprayed with flocking or artificial snow are not accepted.
• Remove all ornaments, tinsel, decorations, lights and tree stands.
• Do not place trees in plastic bags.
• Only natural, non-artificial trees may be recycled.

 
Trees collected at Zilker Park will be turned into mulch and available for free on a first-come, first-served basis beginning January 12 at 9 a.m. (date and time subject to change due to weather). For a list of alternative drop-off locations provided by Travis County or businesses that take natural trees, visit austintexas.gov/treerecycling.

Interview and footage opportunities

Media is invited to record b-roll at the Zilker drop-off; however, we request that interviews be scheduled virtually for staff safety. See below for staff availability.
 
Media contact: Andrés (A.C.) Cantú, Austin Resource Recovery, 512-974-1855
 
When and where: Saturday, January 7, 2023, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Zilker Park Polo Fields
       
Staff and visual availability:

• City of Austin staff video interview.
• City of Austin staff directing traffic or monitoring tree drop-off.
• Residents dropping off their trees for recycling.
• Provided photos of the tree lifecycle and mulching process. 

For more information about Holiday Tree Recycling and mulch availability, visit Austintexas.gov/treerecycling.

About Austin Resource Recovery

Austin Resource Recovery provides a wide range of services designed to transform waste into resources while keeping our community clean. Services include curbside collection of recycling, trash, yard trimmings, and large brush and bulk items; street sweeping; dead animal collection; household hazardous waste disposal and recycling; and outreach and education. Austin Resource Recovery offers free, voluntary, and confidential consulting services to help Austin businesses reduce waste and comply with the City’s recycling ordinance. In December 2011, the Austin City Council approved the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan, which is the City’s road map to Zero Waste. The City of Austin is committed to reducing the amount of waste sent to area landfills by 90 percent by 2040. Learn more at austinrecycles.com.
 

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