With Christmas Day over and our sights turned to the new year, it’s time to start thinking about recycling your Christmas tree. Properly disposing of trees is important to avoid the fire risk they pose as they dry out. Recycling them also helps reduce their carbon footprint.

Before recycling a tree, make sure to remove any decorations, stands and fixtures, including nails.

Here are some options around the Front Range for recycling Christmas trees.

Where to recycle Christmas trees on Colorado's Front Range

Denver 

Denver will hold its “Treecycle” program again this year, with recycling stations open from Jan. 2 through Jan. 31 across the city. In May, free mulch from this collection will be available to Denver residents. 

The following Treecycle locations will be open: 

On weekdays, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.: 

• Cherry Creek Transfer Station, 7301 E. Jewell Ave. – Enter on E. Jewell Ave.
• Havana Nursery, 10450 Smith Road. Enter on Smith Road
  Central Platte Campus, 1271 W. Bayaud Ave. — next to the Denver Animal Shelter.

These locations will be closed on Monday, Jan. 15 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

On weekends, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.:

• Sloan’s Lake Northwest Parking Lot  – W. Byron Pl. and Yates St.
• Bruce Randolph – E. 40th Ave. and Steele St.
• Fred Thomas Park – 2400 Quebec St.
• Evie Dennis School Campus – 4800 Telluride St.
• Central Platte Campus – 1271 W. Bayaud Ave.
• Carson Elementary – 5420 E 1st Ave.
• Kennedy High School – Newland Street and Brown Place
• Slavens Elementary – 3000 S Clayton St.

Get ready to garden with free mulch, discounted compost from City of Denver

Aurora

Dec. 26 – Jan. 8

• Del Mar Park – West parking lot, 12000 E. 6th Ave.
• Saddle Rock Golf Course, 21705 E. Arapahoe Road
• Olympic Park, 15501 E. Yale Ave.

Arvada

Dec. 26 – Jan. 15

Hours: 6:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Stenger Sports Complex, 11200 W. 58th Ave. Dropoff at the southwest corner of W. 58th Ave. and Oak St.

Boulder

Western Disposal is accepting trees from Dec. 26 until the end of January. Residential customers with curbside compost service can put trees out on collection day, and trees longer than 6 feet need to be cut in half. 

Those without curbside compost service can drop off trees at the Western Disposal Materials Management Drop-off Center at 2051 63rd St.

Douglas County

Dec. 26 – Jan. 31

Hours: Anytime

The following county-operated sites are open:

• Bayou Gulch, 4815 Fox Sparrow Rd., Parker
• Challenger Regional Park, 17299 E. Lincoln Ave., Parker
• Fairgrounds Regional Park, 500 Fairgrounds Drive, Castle Rock
• Highland Heritage Regional Park, 9651 S. Quebec St., Highlands Ranch

Residents can pick up mulch on a self-serve basis while supplies last.

Additionally, Castle Rock, Parker and Highlands Ranch will have more locations open, listed below:

Castle Rock

Dec. 26 – Jan. 31

Hours: Anytime

• Founders Park, 4671 Enderud Blvd.
• Metzler Ranch Community Park, 4175 Trail Boss Drive
• Paintbrush Park, 3492 Meadows Blvd.

Highlands Ranch

Dec. 25 – Jan. 16

Hours: Anytime

• Dad Clark Park, 3385 Asterbrook Circle
• Redstone Park, 3280 Redstone Park Circle
• Toepfer Park, 9480 Venneford Ranch Road

Parker

Dec. 25 – Jan. 29

Hours: 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Salisbury Park – West paved parking lot, 11920 S. Motsenbocker Road

Fort Collins

Three Fort Collins locations will accept recycled trees for a $5 fee. Timberline Recycling Center also charges a $5 entry fee.

• Ewing Landscape Materials, 3501 E. Prospect Ave.
• City of Fort Collins: Timberline Recycling Center – Hard to Recycle Materials Yard, 1903 S. Timberline Road
• Larimer County Green Waste Program, 5887 S. Taft Hill Road

Lakewood

Tree recycling is free for Lakewood residents. Mulch is available on request.

Dec. 26 – Jan. 7

Hours: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Lakewood’s Greenhouse – between Estes and old Kipling streets, 9556 W. Yale Ave.