Here’s How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree in Philly

This is the literal approach to dropping off your Christmas tree after the holidays. Fortunately, there’s a better way: it’s easier than ever to recycle your Christmas tree. Photo by Mike Richter/iStock/Getty Images Plus

This story has been updated to correct the date at the Palmer Doggie Depot.

What to do with a Christmas tree after its holiday tour of duty? If you’re anything like the average person, you’ve probably grown used to the tradition of consigning your tree to the nearest curb, where it will then be sent away to the dump and buried. Or worse: incinerated.

But this year could be different. With just a little bit more lugging — it’s not that much extra work hoisting the tree onto the roof of your car — you could recycle your tree. It’s more exercise and more environmentally conscious! There’s two new year’s resolutions taken care of, just like that.

So how to go about this Christmas tree self-betterment? Thanks to a city program, you’ve got no shortage of options: A number of sanitation centers across town will be accepting trees between Monday, January 6th, and Saturday, January 20th. Those centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. (Just be sure to strip your tree bare of ornaments, tinsel, lights, and ties before you drop it off.)

Here’s the list of locations:

• 3901 North Delaware Avenue in Port Richmond
• 2601 West Glenwood Avenue in North Philadelphia
• 3033 South 63rd Street in Southwest Philadelphia
• Domino Lane and Umbria Street in Roxborough
• State Road and Ashburner Street in Northeast Philadelphia
• 5100 Grays Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia

If you don’t happen to live near one of the above locations, consider stopping by one of these 13 additional recycling drop-off centers, each of which is open on Saturday, January 11th, and Saturday, January 18th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In Northeast Philadelphia:

• Jardell Recreation Center (Pennway Street and Cottman Avenue)
• Fox Chase Recreation Center (7901 Ridgeway Street)

In South Philadelphia:

• 15th and Bigler streets
• Broad and Christian streets

In West Philadelphia:

• 43rd Street and Powelton Avenue
• 54th Street and Woodbine Avenue

In North Philadelphia:

• Castor Avenue and Foulkrod Street
• Washington Lane and Ardleigh Street

In Roxborough:

• Cathedral Road and Ridge Avenue

In Fairmount:

• Corinthian and Poplar streets

In Kensington:

• American and Thompson streets

In Chestnut Hill:

• Graver Lane and Seminole Street

In Germantown:

• 4800 Wayne Avenue (Happy Hollow Recreation Center)

If you don’t feel like entrusting your Tannenbaum to the Philadelphia Streets Department, you could also drop it off at an event sponsored by your neighborhood civic association. Here’s a sampling. (Note: The groups with an asterisk are requesting a donation if you drop off your tree with them.)

Passyunk Square Civic Association*: Capitolo Park, January 4th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Palmer Doggie Depot*: At the doggie depot (on Palmer Street between Frankford Avenue and Front Street), January 5th, from 10 a.m to 1 p.m.

South of South*: 1601 Washington Avenue, January 4th and 5th, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

East Mount Airy Neighbors*: 7100 block of Chew Avenue, January 5th, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

University City Green*: Clark Park, January 11th, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Also on January 11th: Malcolm X Park, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Lower Moyamensing Civic Association*: South Philadelphia High School (on Broad and Snyder), January 4th and 5th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

South Philly Green*: 16th and Wolf streets, January 5th, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Old City Green: Fire House Park (4th and Arch streets), January 4th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Northern Liberties Neighbors Association: Liberty Lands (on 3rd Street), through January 12th.

And if you want to really turn your Christmas tree recycling into an event, we’ve got one last suggestion: on January 11th, 18th, and 25th, the Farm at Awbury Agricultural Village will take your old tree and feed it to its goats. What better way to signal the symbolic end of the holidays than with a gift?