Christmas trees (natural)
Natural Christmas trees are collected in January on residents' scheduled garbage collection day. These trees are collected by separate trucks, shredded and made into finished compost. On average, the City collects about 100,000 trees each year. About 80,000 tonnes of leaf, yard waste and Christmas trees are diverted from landfill each year helping us move toward our goal of 70 per cent diversion.
Tress are composted and for this reason they must be free of:
- tree bags
- tinsel
- ornaments
- nails
- tree skirts
- stands
The City will not collect Christmas trees set out in plastic bags or tree bags. Trees should be clear of snow and ice and easily accessible for collection.
Any trees that are not collected in January, must be brought back onto your property, and placed out for yard waste pick-up (when it resumes in March). Christmas trees are not accepted at Drop-off Depots that accept yard waste.
If placing a Christmas tree out for collection when yard waste collection resumes in spring, the maximum length for collection of the tree is 1.2 metres (4 feet). If your tree exceeds this size, it must be cut down to the acceptable size.
Note: Yard waste is not collected with Christmas trees. Christmas tree collection and processing is different from yard waste. Yard waste trucks and staff are not available for additional materials.
Curbside residential day collection
Check your calendar.
Curbside residential night collection for apartments above commercial & houses on main roads
Check your calendar.
Call 311 to report a missed Christmas tree collection
Commercial properties
The City does not collect tress from commercial properties.
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