Christmas Tree Collection Schedule

By City of Madison

Dec 29, 2021

The Streets Division provides two rounds of curbside collection for Christmas trees. The first round will begin on January 3, 2022 with the second and final round beginning on January 18, 2022. Collection will be weather dependent.

Do not place wreaths, evergreen rope, garlands, and boughs out for tree collection. These belong in the trash. They contain wires or metal that can damage wood chipping equipment.

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.

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.

Where to Place Your Tree for Collection

Trees must be placed on the terrace or the road edge, and must be accessible by collection crews.

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.

If the trees become buried with snow and ice 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 Information - January 3, 2022

Residents who wish to have their tree picked up during the first round should set their tree to the curb by 6:30am on January 3, 2022.

Trees set to the curb at this time will likely be collected sometime between January 3 and January 14, 2022, depending on weather conditions and crew availability.

If you place the trees to the curb after January 3, the tree may not be collected until the second round.

Round Two Information - January 18, 2022

Residents who wish to have their tree collected at the curb and did not take advantage of the first round must have their tree to the curb by 6:30 a.m. on January 18.

Trees set to the curb at this time will likely be collected sometime between January 18 and January 28, depending on weather conditions and crew availability.

Trees set to the curb after 6:30 a.m. January 18 may not be picked up until the start of the regular brush collection services in the spring.

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 for winter hours, which is 7:30am to 2:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please note that drop-off sites will close at 10:50 on New Year’s Eve.

Tree Donation Opportunity – Labyrinth in Olbrich Park

Starting on January 2, 2022, residents may also bring their Christmas tree to 3527 Atwood Ave (the Olbrich Park beach parking lot) for them to be used in a public art installation within Olbrich Park. A local artist will be using the trees to construct a labyrinth within the park.

When the donation opportunity becomes available on January 2, 2022, residents electing to donate their trees for this project must follow the posted signs on where trees can be dropped and if trees are being accepted at that time. The tree donation phase is expected to last until January 29 or until the artist receives enough trees for the installation.

Additional details about the labyrinth project can be had by contacting Karin Wolf, the Madison Arts Program Administrator, at 608-261-9134 or kwolf@cityofmadison.com.

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.

Contacts