{"id":473107,"date":"2025-12-26T15:57:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T15:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/473107\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T15:57:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T15:57:14","slug":"where-to-recycle-your-christmas-trees-and-lights-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/473107\/","title":{"rendered":"Where To Recycle Your Christmas Trees And Lights In Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>CHICAGO \u2014 There\u2019s a better spot than the alley to ditch your Christmas tree.<\/p>\n<p>The city\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicago.gov\/city\/en\/sites\/chicago-recycles\/home\/holiday-tree-recycling.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">tree recycling program<\/a> runs Jan. 3-17 at 27 parks across the city. The Department of Streets and Sanitation and the Chicago Park District team up every year to collect used Christmas trees and turn them into mulch.<\/p>\n<p>Only live and natural trees can be dropped off; garlands and wreaths are not accepted. Trees must be free of all tinsel, ornaments, lights and any plastic bags or wrapping.<\/p>\n<p>Here are this year\u2019s drop-off locations:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bessemer Park, 8930 S. Muskegon Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Clark Park, 3400 N. Rockwell St.<\/li>\n<li>Forestry Site, 900 E. 103rd St.<\/li>\n<li>Garfield Park, 100 N. Central Park Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Grant Park, 900 S. Columbus Drive<\/li>\n<li>Hiawatha Park, 8029 W. Forest Preserve Drive<\/li>\n<li>Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1369 N. Sacramento Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Jackson Park, 6300 S. Cornell Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Kennedy Park, 2427 W. 113th St.<\/li>\n<li>Kelvyn Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Lake Meadows Park, 3117 S. Rhodes Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Lincoln Park, Cannon Drive at Fullerton Ave. (east side of Cannon Drive)<\/li>\n<li>Mahalia Jackson Park, 8385 S. Birkhoff Ave.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine Drive<\/li>\n<li>Marquette Park, 6700 S. Kedzie Ave.<\/li>\n<li>McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Road<\/li>\n<li>Mt. Greenwood Park, 3721 W. 111th St.<\/li>\n<li>North Park Village, 5801 N. Pulaski Road<\/li>\n<li>Norwood Park (Service Yard), 5800 N. Avondale Ave.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Riis Park, 6201 W. Wrightwood Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Rowan Park, 11546 S. Avenue L<\/li>\n<li>Sheridan Park, 910 S. Aberdeen St.<\/li>\n<li>Walsh Park, 1722 N. Ashland Ave.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Wentworth Park, 5701 S. Narragansett Ave.<\/li>\n<li>West Chatham Park, 8223 S. Princeton Ave.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Starting Jan. 5, Chicagoans can pick up free mulch at these six tree drop-off locations: Forestry Site, 900 E. 103rd St.; Lincoln Park, Cannon Drive at Fullerton Ave.; Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine Drive; Mt. Greenwood Park, 3721 W. 111th St.; North Park Village, 5801 N. Pulaski Road; and Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Ave. <\/p>\n<p>Mulch is available on a first come, first served basis.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"931\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/120221-Jefferson-Park-Christmas-Tree-House-Colin-Boyle-2779.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-483220\"\/>Don\u2019t trash your broken holiday lights. Reduce Waste Chicago will recycle them for you.  Credit: Colin Boyle\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n<p>Where To Recycle Your Holiday Lights<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/reducewastechicago.org\/holiday-lights-collection\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Reduce Waste Chicago<\/a> is again collecting broken holiday string lights to be recycled.<\/p>\n<p>The program has expanded to more drop-off sites this year, thanks to a $5,000 grant. Last year, Reduce Waste Chicago collected 4,618 pounds of lights from 40 drop-off locations at 17 wards citywide, according to its website.<\/p>\n<p>Here are 42 locations where you can bring your holiday lights:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Unwaste Shop, 1108 W. Madison St.<\/li>\n<li>25th Ward Office, 2100 W. Cermak Road<\/li>\n<li>Working Bikes, 2434 S Western Ave.<\/li>\n<li>The Plant, 1400 W. 46th St.<\/li>\n<li>Trash Castle, 1048 W. 37th St.<\/li>\n<li>Experimental Station, 6100 S. Blackstone Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Northwestern Medicine Galter Pavilion, 675 N. St Clair St.<\/li>\n<li>Bartleby\u2019s Homemade Ice Cream, 1943 W. Byron St.<\/li>\n<li>Erwin Law, 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave., Suite 208<\/li>\n<li>32nd Ward Office, 2657 N. Clybourn Ave.<\/li>\n<li>35th Ward Office, 2934 N. Milwaukee Ave.<\/li>\n<li>47th Ward Office, 4243 N. Lincoln Ave.<\/li>\n<li>A Pretty Flower, 2334 W. Lawrence Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Henry\u2019s House Preschool,\u00a03655 N. Bell Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Katherine Anne Confections \u2013 Irving Park,\u00a03653 W. Irving Park Road<\/li>\n<li>Northcenter Chamber of Commerce,\u00a04045 N. Lincoln Ave.<\/li>\n<li>State Rep. Jaime Andrade, 4007 N. Sacramento Ave.<\/li>\n<li>The UPS Store, 4044 N. Lincoln Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange, 2142 W. 82nd Place<\/li>\n<li>The Refilleri, 1007 N California Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber\/SSA #33, 1414 N. Ashland Ave.<\/li>\n<li>33rd Ward Office, 4747 N. Sawyer Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Lincoln Square Animal Hospital, 4501 N. Lincoln Ave.<\/li>\n<li>49th Ward Office, 1447 W. Morse Ave.<\/li>\n<li>39th Ward Office, 4200 W Lawrence Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Forest Glen Animal Hospital, 5330 N. Elston Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Mr. V\u2019s Pizza, 5285 N. Elston Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Habitat for Humanity, 6057 S. Western Ave.<\/li>\n<li>46th Ward Office, 4544 N. Broadway<\/li>\n<li>Chicago Waldorf School, 5200 N. Ashland Ave.<\/li>\n<li>30th Ward Office, 5418 W. Belmont Ave.<\/li>\n<li>State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, 4349 N. Milwaukee Ave.<\/li>\n<li>19th Ward Office, 10400 S. Western Ave.<\/li>\n<li>The Unwaste Shop, 1915 W. 103rd St.<\/li>\n<li>Habitat for Humanity ReStore Chicago, 6040 N. Pulaski Road<\/li>\n<li>1st Ward Office, 1958 N. Milwaukee Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Katherine Anne Confections \u2013 Logan Square, 2745 W. Armitage Ave.<\/li>\n<li>The WasteShed, 1754 N. Kimball Ave.<\/li>\n<li>Harriet Tubman Elementary School, 2851 N. Seminary Ave.<\/li>\n<li>40th Ward Office, 5620 N. Western Ave.<\/li>\n<li>50th Ward Office, 2949 W. Devon Ave.<\/li>\n<li>48th Ward Office, 1129 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For more details on holiday recycling programs and additional drop-off locations, visit the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicago.gov\/city\/en\/sites\/chicago-recycles\/home\/holiday-tree-recycling.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">city of Chicago<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/reducewastechicago.org\/holiday-lights-collection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external nofollow\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Reduce Waste Chicago<\/a>\u00a0websites.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CHICAGO \u2014 There\u2019s a better spot than the alley to ditch your Christmas tree. The city\u2019s tree recycling&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":473108,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,5386,1818],"class_list":{"0":"post-473107","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-illinois"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115786695136914667","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=473107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/473108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=473107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=473107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=473107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}