With Christmas over, what can you do with your tree in South Florida? You have options

Whether you get rid of your Christmas tree before New Year’s Day or after Three Kings Day, the important thing is knowing how to do it correctly.

Each county in South Florida has its own set of rules, dates and locations to dispose of or recycle Christmas trees to keep neighborhoods looking clean, protect the environment and avoid wildfires.

How to recycle your Christmas tree in Miami-Dade

To recycle your Christmas tree into mulch in unincorporated Miami-Dade County — and in the municipalities of Aventura, Cutler Bay, Doral, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, Opa-locka, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Sunny Isles Beach and Sweetwater — the first thing you need to do is remove all holiday decorations.

One way to get rid of it is to drop it off at one of the following trash and recycling centers:

• North Dade – 21500 NW 47th Ave.

• Norwood – 19901 NW Seventh Ave.

• Palm Springs North – 7870 NW 178th St.

• Golden Glades – 140 NW 160th St.

• West Little River – 1830 NW 79th St.

• Snapper Creek – 2200 SW 117th Ave.

• Sunset Kendall – 8000 SW 107th Ave.

• West Perrine – 16651 SW 107th Ave.

• Eureka Drive – 9401 SW 184th St.

• South Miami Heights – 20800 SW 117th Ct.

• Moody Drive – 12970 SW 268th St.

• West Miami-Dade – 8801 NW 58th St.

The centers are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Residents who live in the city of Miami can use the municipal mini dump facility at 1290 NW 20th St. The facility will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Proof of residency inside Miami city limits is required to drop off trash at the mini dump.

Curbside collection

If you want to hold on to your tree a little bit longer, crews will collect them from the curbside in two sweeps beginning Jan. 11.

The first sweep will be from Jan. 11-22, with trees collected on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. But you have to place the tree at the curb by Jan. 11.

The final sweep will be from Jan. 25-Feb. 5, with trees collected on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. You have to place the tree by the curbside by Jan. 25.

What happens to the trees? Mulch available

The Christmas trees dropped off at the TRC centers and those collected at curbside during the sweeps will be recycled into mulch. Residents who provide proof of residency within the service area will be able to pick up free mulch at one of the TRC centers starting in the spring.

If you want to know when exactly you can get your free mulch, sign up at miamidade.gov/christmastreerecycling to receive a notification from the city of when the mulch is ready for pickup.

Bulky waste pickup

Residents who are unable to drop off their tree for recycling or who don’t want to wait for curbside collection can use one of their available scheduled bulky waste pickups to have the tree collected.

If you place your tree at the curbside as part of a scheduled bulky waste pickup it will not be recycled into mulch.

“Do not place whole trees or cut up trees in the green garbage carts or blue recycling carts,” the county’s website says.

For more information on the Christmas tree recycling and collection program, call 311 or visit miamidade.gov/solidwaste.

For residents who live in the city of Miami, city waste collection crews pick up bulky waste once a week. Check your pickup schedule.

How to recycle your Christmas tree in Coral Gables

Some municipalities in Miami-Dade may have their own Christmas tree recycling programs.

The city of Coral Gables is offering free Christmas tree recycling to residents starting Dec. 27. If you live in a single-family home, this is your tree pickup schedule according to where you live:

• Coral Way to north city limits: Jan. 2, Jan. 9, 2023 and Jan. 16.

• Coral Way to Bird Road: Dec. 27, Jan. 3 and Jan. 10.

• Bird Road to Sunset Drive: Dec. 29, Jan. 5 and Jan. 12.

• Sunset Drive to south city limits: Dec. 30, Jan. 6 and Jan. 13.

But the city may not pick up your tree if you don’t follow these rules:

• Place tree out after 5 p.m. the day before your scheduled tree collection day.

• Keep tree separate from your trash and yard waste pile. If the tree is placed in the trash pile with other debris, it won’t be recycled.

• Remove tree stand, lights, ornaments, tinsel, and other decorations before placing out for collection.

• Do not bag your tree or place flocked trees out for collection.

If you live in an apartment, you can take the tree to the War Memorial Youth Center’s west parking lot at 405 University Dr. through Jan. 13.

How to recycle your Christmas tree in Broward

Broward County residents can drop off their Christmas trees at these places through Jan. 16:

• Brian Piccolo Sports Park & Velodrome, 9501 Sheridan St., Cooper City; 954-357-5150

• C.B. Smith Park, 900 N. Flamingo Rd., Pembroke Pines 954-357-5170

• Easterlin Park, 1000 N.W. 38th St., Oakland Park; 954-357-5190

• Fern Forest Nature Center, 201 Lyons Rd. South, Coconut; 954-357-5198

• Markham Park & Target Range, 16001 W. State Road 84, Sunrise; 954-357-8868

• Rev. Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park, 2520 NW Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-357-8801

• Snake Warrior’s Island Natural Area, 3600 S.W. 62nd Ave., Miramar; 954-357-8776

• Tradewinds Park & Stables, 3600 W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek; 954-357-8870

• Tree Tops Park, 3900 SW 100th Ave., Davie; 954-357-5130

• T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, 3300 N. Park Rd., Hollywood; 954-357-8811

• Vista View Park, 4001 SW 142nd Ave., Davie; 954-357-8898

• West Lake Park, 1200 Sheridan St., Hollywood 954-357-5161

Each center has its own schedule, so the county wants you to call before you get there, according to its website.

You have to remove all the tree’s decorations before it can be recycled into mulch, which will be used for landscaping throughout the Broward County park system. There is a limit of two trees per vehicle. The regular weekend and holiday gate fee is never in effect for residents who are dropping off their trees during the designated period.

How to recycle your Christmas tree in Fort Lauderdale

Some municipalities in Broward may have their own Christmas tree disposal programs, too.

Fort Lauderdale residents who can’t take their trees to one of the county’s drop-off locations can place them on the curbside for pickup on scheduled yard waste collection days through Jan. 7. There are no collections scheduled for Jan. 1. All ornaments, lights and tinsel must be removed.

Christmas tree disposal in other Broward cities

Weston, Davie and Margate residents who can’t take their Christmas trees to the nearest county drop-off location have other options.

▪ Weston residential curbside Christmas tree collection runs Jan. 2-14. Trees must be placed in the swale, next to garbage carts and away from mailboxes. Trees will be collected on garbage service days, and ones over six feet should be cut in half.

▪ Davie residents can place Christmas trees as a part of their regular bulk pickup. To find bulk pickup day, visit Find Your Bulk Pick Up Days.

▪ Margate residents with Christmas trees not taller than six feet must place them immediately behind the curb, or within the swale area if there is no curb, by 7 a.m. on collection day but no sooner than three days before scheduled collection day. Bulk and yard waste are collected together once per week on the residents’ first garbage collection day.

Miami Herald staff writer Joey Flechas contributed to this report.