🌲New Site for the Disposal of Christmas Trees

The City of Ames provides free disposal of Christmas trees, and this year there is a new location! Trees can be deposited in the designated area in the parking lot of North River Valley Park, 1015 E. 13th St. Look for Christmas tree recycling signage.

Trees can be dropped during daylight hours through Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. All trees will be recycled into wood chips, which will be used in Ames parks. The tree stand, tinsel, and all ornaments should be removed before leaving the tree for disposal. The former site, the Parks & Recreation Maintenance Shop, is unavailable due to construction taking place of a new maintenance facility.

✨ Don’t toss those tangled Christmas lights when the sparkle fades. Recycle them!

 Whether they’re tiny, white glass bulbs, multi-color plastic illuminations, indoor strands, or outdoor icicles, the City of Ames accepts all non-working holiday lights for recycling. (We’ll also take the small, battery-operated strands, but please remove the batteries!) Place your lights in the metals bin at the outdoor recycling area on the north side of the Resource Recovery Plant, 420 E. Second St.

 The Resource Recovery Plant’s self-serve recycling is open 24/7.

 We love the twinkle these lights bring to the holidays, but don’t trash them when they burn out. Give the Earth a gift and recycle your lights instead. 🎄✨

♻️ Drop-Off Recycling

The drop-off recycling center on the north side of the Resource Recovery Plant has experienced steady use since opening in December 2023. Various bins on the north side of the building, 420 E. Second St., now allow residents to recycle:

• cardboard (boxes used for mailing should be broken down and flattened)
• mixed paper (including newspapers, magazines, junk mail, chip board, cracker/cereal boxes, greeting cards)
• metal (including beverage cans, food cans, tins) plastics with twist-off tops (including milk jugs, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, water bottles)
• food waste (no bones, plastic, diapers, aluminum foil)
• glass (no mirrors, cookware, window, or windshield glass)
• NOW RECYCLING CLOTHING AND SHOES

One way to help the program be successful is to carefully sort recyclables. For example, plastic grocery bags and Styrofoam cannot be recycled and should be thrown in the trash.

Additional signage has been added to clarify what items are accepted.

Materials sorted into the recycling bins are taken to Des Moines to be consolidated with similar items before being shipped to a company that recycles them. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency waste hierarchy recommends individuals reduce the amount of waste they produce as the most important waste management action. The next preferred disposal method is recycling followed by energy production. For example, cardboard can be burned once, but it can be recycled five to seven times.

The recycling drop-off bins are open 24/7 for easy, convenient, year-round use.