The holidays are almost over and you have a live tree in your living room that you're not sure what to do with.
Below are ways you can recycle your tree!
NORFOLK
Norfolk is hosting it's 35th Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program, where residents and businesses are asked to bring any live Christmas trees to the northwest corner of the parking lot at the Norfolk Fire Division Training Center.
The program kicks off on Dec. 26 and ends on Jan. 13.
The city says the recycled trees are scheduled to be chipped into mulch for use in city parks and roadways the following week, weather permitting.
Trees should be free of all ornaments, tree stands and nails, and the city says trees that have been flocked will not be accepted.
VIRGINIA BEACH
The Virginia Aquarium is collecting and recycling live-cut Christmas trees in support of marine-focused conservation in partnership with Marine Stewards America.
From Dec. 26 to Jan. 6, you can bring your Christmas tree to the Aquarium's East Parking Lot and drop it off in the designated area for recycling!
The trees will be used to restore sand dunes along the coastline, which the city says supports our local marine ecosystem by controlling erosion, providing nutrients for beach plants, creating habitats for beach animals, and keeping waste out of the landfill.
The city says acceptable trees for drop-off must be bare and live-cut trees.
If you can't make it to the aquarium, you can place your bare Christmas tree on your curb to be picked up as regular yard waste on your normal trash collection day.
Any trees taken to the city's Landfill and Resource Recovery Center will be chipped and used for mulch by city landscape crews.
CHESAPEAKE
You can place your bare Christmas tree on the curb for pickup on your normal trash pickup day.
SUFFOLK
Suffolk residents are allowed 12 annual special collections, but between Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, Christmas tree and box pickups will not count towards the 12 free special collections.
The city says trees do not have to be secured and boxes don't have to be collapsed, but they ask that trees and boxes are put to the curb on the same day as your regular collection.
Any trees put out for collection after Jan. 5 will be picked up, but counted as a special collection for the annual 12 allotted.
PORTSMOUTH
You can place your bare Christmas tree on the curb on your regularly scheduled trash collection day for pick-up.
HAMPTON
Starting Dec. 26, you can place your bare Christmas tree on the curb for pick-up on your regularly scheduled trash collection day.
The tree must be separated from any bulk or regular trash by at least three feet.
Residents can also bring their live trees to the Yard Waste Transfer Site.
All trees collected will be mulched or composted at the VPPSA Composting Facility, and the mulch and compost are available for purchase by the public at the facility.
NEWPORT NEWS
You can put your bare Christmas tree on your curb during the regular bulk collection week.
You're also able to drop it off Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Recovery Operations Center.
All trees will be mulched or composted.
WILLIAMSBURG
James City County residents can participate in the free annual Christmas tree recycling program, beginning on Jan. 1 and ending on Feb. 4.
All trees must be free of ornaments, tinsel, lights and stands.
Christmas trees will be accepted at all three Convenience Center locations during normal operating hours.
You can also schedule a bulk waste collection appointment for $75.
OUTER BANKS
As of this writing, instructions for disposing of Christmas trees in the Outer Banks have not been posted. However, in years past, different parts of the Outer Banks and its surrounding areas have followed different guidelines.
Here’s what different areas did in 2022:
Unincorporated Dare County
Residents were instructed not to leave their trees on the curbside. They were asked to drop them off at the Dare County Public Works Recycling Center in Manteo or at the Buxton Transfer Station.
Manteo
On specific dates, residents could leave their undecorated trees on the curbside for pick up.
Duck
On specific dates, residents could leave their undecorated trees on the curbside for pick up.
Southern Shores
Undecorated trees were picked up on regular collection dates.
Kitty Hawk
On specific dates, residents could leave their undecorated trees on the curbside for pick up.
Nags Head
Undecorated trees were collected as part of the town’s monthly curbside bulk item/brush collection service.
