As many Pittsburghers pack away holiday decorations over the next few weeks, city and county officials are encouraging residents to recycle their live Christmas trees. The county and city programs have begun accepting trees at nearly two dozen drop-off locations.
Recycled trees will be shredded into mulch for parks and home gardens. Residents are asked to remove all decorations — ornaments, toppers, lights and tinsel — and stands before dropping off their trees.
Allegheny County residents can bring trees through Jan. 14 from 8 a.m. to dusk at drop-off locations in all nine county parks:
- Boyce Park – Soccer fields parking lot
- Deer Lakes Park – Veterans shelter parking lot
- Harrison Hills Park – Parking lot at Chipmunk and Cottontail Drives
- Hartwood Acres Park – Middle Road parking lot
- North Park – Swimming pool parking lot
- Round Hill Park – Alfalfa shelter parking lot
- Settlers Cabin Park – Wave pool parking lot
- South Park – Wave pool parking lot
- White Oak Park – Wedding garden parking lot
City residents can bring their trees to a dozen parks and public works locations through Jan. 26, though hours vary:
- Allegheny Center
- Sue Murray swimming pool parking lot (any day, dawn to dusk)
- Brighton Heights
- Jack Stack parking lot (any day, dawn to dusk)
- Brookline
- Brookline Recreation Center (any day, dawn to dusk)
- Elliott
- Public Works Division 5 (Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- Friendship
- Baum Grove parklet (any day, dawn to dusk)
- Hazelwood
- Public Works Division 3 (Weekdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- Highland Park
- Zoo parking lot (any day, dawn to dusk)
- Homewood North
- Public Works Division 2 (Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- Perry North
- Public Works Division 1 (Weekdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- Sheraden
- Sheraden Park parking lot (any day, dawn to dusk)
- South Side
- Southside Riverfront Park lower parking lot (any day, dawn to dusk)
- Squirrel Hill South
- Schenley Park, Prospect Drive roundabout (any day, dawn to dusk)
City locations without designated hours of operation may not have staff on-site to assist residents, according to a city spokesperson. In the spring, Pittsburgh will launch pickup locations for residents to collect free mulch that comes from recycled trees.
More than 5,160 trees were diverted from landfills by the programs last year.
