ST. LOUIS — Residents in St. Louis County and City can recycle their live Christmas trees to be repurposed into mulch or for creating fish habitats.
St. Louis County Parks and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) have teamed up again to offer their natural-cut Christmas tree recycle program to county residents through Sunday, Jan. 19.
The collected trees will be used by MDC to create habitats for fish in Spanish Lake and others will be mulched.
Trees must be undecorated and cleared of tinsel, ornaments, light and decorations before being accepted by park staff.
Below is a list of locations where trees can be dropped off:
- Spanish Lake Park: 12500 Spanish Pond Road, 63138 -- Main parking lot by the lake
- Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park: 13777 Marine Avenue, 63146 – Sailboat Cove parking lot
- Queeny Park: 550 Weidman Road, 63011 – Corporate parking lot off Weidman near the complex
- Bee Tree Park: 2701 Finestown Avenue, 63129 – Lake parking lot
Additionally, Fick Supply Services on Eatherton Road in Wildwood offers turning trees into mulch for free.
Trees also can be taken to St. Louis composting facilities in Valley Park, Maryland Heights, Florissant and Pacific for $3 per tree.
The city of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry is offering locations for residents to recycle their live Christmas trees through Thursday, Jan. 9.
Below is a list of locations where trees can be dropped off:
- Forest Park: Lower Muny Opera parking lot
- O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex (YMCA): Southwest corner of parking lot
- Carondelet Park: Grand and Holly Hills, area near gate next to mulch piles
The donated trees will be used for mulch that will be free and available to city residents at the same sites.
Trees must be free of decorations such as lights, tinsel, ornaments and tree stands, and they should not be bagged or covered.
Fake or plastic trees, wreaths, and pine roping are not accepted at these sites.
Trees should not be placed in alley dumpsters or recycling containers. They may be placed in the alleys for bulk pickup.
St. Charles City offers free recycling of live Christmas trees during the first two weeks in January as part of residents’ regularly scheduled yard waste day. The trees must not have any lights, decorations or bags. For trees more than six feet tall, they should be cut in half prior to being placed on the curb.
Recycle Works in St. Charles County will take trees after the holidays.
Trees should be free of stands, all decorations, lights and any packaging before bringing trees to any of the following locations for recycling:
- Recycle Works Central: 60 Triad South in St. Charles
- Recycle Works West: 2110 East Pitman Avenue in Wentzville
Additional tree collection sites in St. Charles County:
- St. Charles County’s Quail Ridge Park (Group Picnic Area): 560 Interstate Drive in Wentzville
- Founders Park: #7 Freymuth Road in Lake Saint Louis
- Heartland Park: 100 William Dierberg Drive in Wentzville
- Progress Park: 968 Meyer Road in Wentzville
- Rotary Park: 2577 West Meyer Road in Wentzville