The Christmas Tree Recycling Program is coordinated by the City of New Orleans Office of Resilience & Sustainability and allows recycled trees to be repurposed for coastal and wetland restoration projects, instead of being placed in landfills.   

“The Christmas Tree Recycling Program is one of the City’s longest-running circular economy efforts, and it helps improve the sustainability of this particular holiday tradition,” said Chris Lang, Circular Economy Manager, Office of Resilience & Sustainability for the City of New Orleans. “By recycling their trees, residents are directly contributing to habitat restoration and helping shore up the natural systems that protect our region.”

Residents can participate in the program through the following options: 

• Dec. 26 through Jan. 4: Call 311 to request curbside pickup using the “Christmas Tree” service request. A contractor will collect the first 400 trees requested through 311. 

• Jan. 5 through Jan. 9: Place trees on the curb by 5 a.m. on your regular garbage collection day. A recycling truck will follow the regular garbage truck. 

• French Quarter and Downtown Development District: Residents should place trees curbside before 4 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8 only. 

Trees cannot be flocked or have remnants of tinsel.  All ornamentation, lighting, and tree stand bases must be removed before recycling pick up.  

For over 27 years, this program has contributed to the restoration of the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge, while also preventing them from being placed in landfills. Thanks to residents who participate in the program each year, recycled trees have restored an area of marsh equal to approximately 200 football fields. The trees also create an important habitat for birds, fish, crabs, crawfish and shrimp.  

“The City of New Orleans and other coastal communities in our region must continue to prioritize the protection and restoration of the natural resources and defenses that protect us from storms and sea-level rise,” said Samantha Carter, Senior Outreach Manager, Gulf Program, National Wildlife Federation. “The Christmas Tree Recycling Program has long been a fun and easy way to engage residents in the fight to restore our coast and rebuild wildlife habitat. The recycled trees will create new habitats and continue to trap sediment over time, eventually providing more permanent ridges that will protect the inner marsh, including shorelines and levees, from erosion and wave action. I encourage community members to use opportunities like this to learn more about what’s happening on the coast, what it means for the Greater New Orleans area, and how they can get involved.” 

The trees will be sorted, bundled and airlifted by helicopter to be dropped into targeted sections of the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge. The annual Christmas Tree drop represents a long-standing partnership between Louisiana National Guard and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.  The project benefits the City of New Orleans and surrounding coastal environment while also providing valuable training hours for pilots and crewmembers of the 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment.  

For more information about the Christmas Tree Recycling Program, visit nola.gov/ChristmasTreeRecycling.