Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC's sanitation department wants to compost your 'naked' Christmas trees
By
Liam Quigley
Published Dec 26, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
carstenbrandt/Getty Images
By
Liam Quigley
Published Dec 26, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New Yorkers looking to get rid of their Christmas trees previously had to rely on special collection days or bring the trees to mulching locations at city parks. Now, they’ll be able to dispose of them on the curb alongside other compostable items.
Composting your Christmas tree is mandatory in New York City, and the sanitation department will collect “naked” Christmas trees – that is, trees without decorations, ornaments or stands – and wreaths on weekly curbside compost collection days. (You can find your collection schedule here.)
Since the sanitation department rolled out curbside organics collection citywide, the trees can be tossed out on the same day sanitation workers arrive to collect food scraps and other organic waste. The trees are treated like other composting materials, such as food scraps, food-soiled paper products and yard waste.
Recycling your tree at the parks department’s annual Mulchfest, which turns trees into wood chips that are used as fertilizer, is still an option. Participating locations for Mulchfest, which runs through Jan. 11, opened on Friday, though you may want to check if your site is open before hauling your tree over as forecasts call for up to 9 inches of snow in some parts of the city.
The sanitation department said it won't collect artificial trees with the compost – those should be separated and recycled.
Tagged
new york city
Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 8:28 a.m. ET
Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says
Police arrested 22-year-old Sobirjon Abdurazakov for a hit-and-run that killed a 62-year old Lyft driver.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says
Police arrested 22-year-old Sobirjon Abdurazakov for a hit-and-run that killed a 62-year old Lyft driver.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
A NYC judge brought his gun into court for an ‘experiment’. Now he’s censured.
By
Samantha Max
The Bronx is getting a new casino and a reimagined Ferry Point Park, too
By
Willow Higgins
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .