The Streets Division provides two rounds of curbside collection for Christmas trees. Residents who wish to have their trees collected at the curb should follow the below guidelines in order to guarantee their trees are picked up.

Wreaths, evergreen rope, garlands, and boughs will not be collected alongside Christmas trees. These items contain wires or metal that can damage wood chipping equipment. These should be placed into the refuse for disposal.

The Rules for Christmas Tree Collection
Failure to follow the below list of rules may result in the tree not being collected.

• Remove all tree stands regardless if they are metal or wood.
• Remove all tree decorations such as lights, ornaments, or other metal objects.
• Remove any tree bags, and any other foreign object.

The above listed items may damage the wood chipping equipment used to process collected trees, so they must be removed.

Where to Place Your Tree for Collection
Trees must be placed at the road edge, and must be accessible by collection crews.

Also, if the trees become buried with snow while awaiting collection at the curb, residents are asked to dig out the trees so they are accessible to the crews.

When to Place Your Tree for Collection
The Streets Division performs two rounds of Christmas tree collection.

• Round One Begins January 2, 2018

• Round Two Begins January 16, 2018

Trees set to the curb after the second curbside collection opportunity occurs for a neighborhood will not be collected until the start of regular brush collection in March 2018.

Therefore, residents who wish to have their Christmas trees collected at the curb prior to the spring must have their tree to the curb before January 16.

Placing the tree to the curb after January 16 means both collection opportunities may be missed, and collection may not occur until the spring during regular brush collection.

What Happens if It Snows
The Streets Division is the primary agency responsible for servicing city streets during snow and ice events. If conditions require, crews will be diverted from tree collection to assist with maintaining the roads. This may result in pickup delays.

Residents are reminded to remove trees from the snow if they become buried. Collection crews will not be able to collect ones that are concealed or inaccessible due to snow.

Drop-off Sites
Madison residents may also bring their Christmas trees to one of the Streets Division drop-off sites. The sites are located at 1501 W. Badger Rd. on the southwest side and at 4602 Sycamore Ave. on the east side. The drop-off sites are open from 7:30am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday.

Additional Information
Additional information regarding tree collection, and other winter-related city operations, can be found on the City of Madison’s Winter website, www.cityofmadison.com/winter.