How to recycle natural Christmas trees in Portland and Vancouver

Danny Peterson
·2 min read

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Whether in Vancouver or Portland, there are options out there for recycling natural Christmas trees once the pine needles start to brown and the egg nog goes green.

Unlike artificial or flocked Christmas trees, which cannot be recycled and must instead be thrown in the garbage or donated, recycling real trees can have environmental benefits. For instance, recycled natural trees can be chipped into mulch which can help conserve water, beautify garden beds and be used in landscaping.

While Clark County encourages their Washington residents to recycle their natural trees for this very reason, there are some things people must do first to prepare them. For instance, all lights, tinsel, wire, ornaments and stands have to be removed.

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The City of Portland has similar guidelines, according to their website. Residents in both Vancouver and Portland can recycle their natural trees via recycling pick-up services.

In Portland, residents may cut up trees three feet or shorter and place them into the compost bin for no extra charge or place whole trees six feet or shorter next to the compost bin for a $5.25 charge. In Clark County, trees five feet or shorter can be cut up and placed inside their Waste Connection yard debris or organics carts. Trees can also be placed next to the carts, with an additional fee only applied if the container is also full.

In Vancouver, several sites accept tree recycling of any size for a small fee of usually $5 or less, including:

  • Central Transfer and Recycling, 11034 NE 117th Ave., 360-256-8482

  • City Bark, 2419 NE Andresen Road, 360-253-8461

  • H&H Wood Recyclers, 8401 NE 117th Ave., 360-892-2805

  • McFarlane’s Bark, 8806 NE 117th Ave., 360-892-6125

  • Triangle Resources, 612 SE Union St., Camas, 360-834-7253

  • West Van Materials Recovery Center, 6601 NW Old Lower River Road, 360-737-1727

In Clark County, the Boy Scouts of America also do tree collecting for recycling in early January for donations. For more information on neighborhood pickup sites, check the Scouts BSA’s tree recycling website.

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If you live in an apartment building in Portland, information about tree recycling drop-off sites may be available through Oregon Metro. Inquire through their phone number, 503-234-3000, or via the Ask Metro website.

In terms of keeping artificial trees out of landfills, options include donating ones in good condition to thrift stores, giving them away through buy-nothing groups and offering them for free on sites like Craigslist or Nextdoor.

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