Need to recycle your Christmas tree in Howard County? Here's how.

Allana Haynes, Howard County Times, Columbia, Md.
Updated ·3 min read

Jan. 2—By Allana Haynes — ahaynes@baltsun.com

PUBLISHED:January 2, 2024 at 11:18 a.m.| UPDATED:January 4, 2024 at 11:09 a.m.

Howard County residents have a variety of free recycling options for their holiday trees, through the Department of Public Works' Bureau of Environmental Services' Merry Mulch program.

Daily through Jan. 20, holiday trees may be recycled during regular business hours at the drop-off sites listed below, according to a news release. One exception is the Alpha Ridge Landfill, which is not open on Sundays.

All collected trees are delivered to the Composting Facility at Alpha Ridge Landfill and recycled into compost and mulch.

"I encourage residents to use this opportunity to keep trees out of the landfill this holiday season. By spring, these trees will be repurposed and ready to use as compost and mulch," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a news release. "By simply making a plan to recycle trees this year, we can create a cleaner and more sustainable environment in Howard County for all."

Residents with curbside yard waste collection may set holiday trees out on their collection day, through Jan. 19, according to the release. Trees will not be picked up on trash collection days . All decorations, including garland, lights, ornaments, plastic bags, tinsel, tree stands, etc., must be removed.

Trees must also be cut into less than 4-foot lengths and tied; they should not be bagged. Each bundle must also weigh less than 40 pounds. Residents are reminded to set their tree out the night before their collection day. Trees will be picked up on collection day, between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Artificial trees cannot be placed in blue carts for curbside recycling. Artificial holiday trees and wreaths with metal components can be recycled year-round in the scrap metal area at the Alpha Ridge Landfill Residents' Convenience Center in Marriottsville.

After Jan. 20, trees will be collected as trash when put out on trash day for regular customers.

Residents who participated in the county's Feed the Green Bin food scrap collection may continue to set out yard trimmings and food scraps year-round.

After curbside collections end, residents may bring holiday trees to the Alpha Ridge Landfill Wood Waste Area, open Mondays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. No plastic bagged trees will be accepted.

For more information, visit howardcountymd.gov. Merry Mulch drop-off sites include:

Clarksville

— Kendall Hardware, 12260 Clarksville Pike

Columbia

— Cedar Lane Park, 5081 Cedar Lane

Elkridge

— Rockburn Branch Park (East), 5400 Landing Road

Ellicott City

— Clarks Ace Hardware, 10325 Baltimore National Pike

— Old Circuit Court parking lot on upper Court House Drive (just past Ellicott Mills Drive on the right)

Highland

— Schooley Mill Park, 12975 Hall Shop Road

Marriottsville

— Alpha Ridge Landfill Wood Waste Area, 2350 Marriottsville Road (not open Sundays)

Savage

— Savage Park, 8400 Fair Street

Woodbine

— Western Regional Park, 14800 Carrs Mill Road

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