What to Do With Your Christmas Tree

If it’s time to un-deck the halls at your Temple Terrace home, here are some options you can take advantage of to make sure your formerly live Christmas tree is disposed of properly.

Bonnie Brae Christmas Tree Bonfire

Join your friends and neighbors at the annual Christmas Tree Bonfire at Bonnie Brae Park on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. You can drop off real Christmas trees at the park in the days and hours leading up to the bonfire, according to this Announcement from Kimberly Constantine. (Thanks, Kimberly, for posting!) The burn is controlled by the Temple Terrace Fire Department.

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Curbside Pickup

The Temple Terrace Public Works Department will be collecting Christmas trees for recycling. Trees can be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on any Wednesday for pickup during the regular Wednesday residential yard-waste recycling routes. If you have any questions about Christmas tree or yard-waste pickup, or the Holiday Recycling Schedule, call Public Works at 813-506-6570.

For more information about the city’s holiday trash and recycling schedule, read this story: .

In Hillsborough County, trash haulers will pick up formerly live trees curbside on yard waste collection days. If you have county trash service, before tossing that tree out at the curb, make sure to:

• Take off all the tinsel, lights and decorations
• Cut the tree into sections that are not longer than 4 feet or more than 6 inches in diameter
• Just set out on the curb with other yard waste

Yard Waste Processing

If you don’t want to wait for your next yard waste pickup day, you can take your tree to a Hillsborough County facility in person. This option enables you to skip cutting the tree into pieces, but do be sure to remove all lights, decorations and tinsel before attempting a drop off at these locations:

• 8001 W. Linebaugh Ave.
• 13001 U.S. Highway 41
• 350 Falkenburg Road

The county’s yard waste processing facilities are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except holidays. Be sure to bring a current tax bill and proper ID along to be able to access the yard waste facilities. People who are not county solid waste customers may have to pay a disposal fee.

Mulching

Residents can also turn their old trees into yard mulch they can use personally. For more information on how to recycle a live Christmas tree, contact Lynn Barber at the Hillsborough County Extension, 813-744-5519, ext. 54105.

To find out more about Hillsborough County solid waste collection and disposal services, visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/solidwaste, or call 813-272-5680.