As the ornaments come down and pine needles make their annual bid for independence, Chicagoans face the ultimate post-holiday question: What should I do with this tree? Whether you’re a pro-recycler or a first-timer, the city has a plan. While you could leave your tree in the alley for the garbage crew to find eventually, there’s a much more environmentally friendly way to bid farewell to the holiday season.
The city has announced details of its 2026 Christmas tree recycling program, which collects trees for composting from January 3–17, 2026, in parks across the city. Before you lug your tree to a recycling site, you'll need to ensure that it's stripped of any ornaments, tinsel, lights or other decorations—only bare trees are accepted for recycling. You'll be able to drop off your tree whenever participating parks are open to the public (check the Chicago Park District website for hours).
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Once collected, the trees are converted into mulch, which Chicagoans can pick up for free on a first come, first served basis. Residents can snag a bag at six specific locations: North Park Village, Warren Park, Margate Park, Lincoln Park, Mt. Greenwood Park and the Forestry Site.
Below is the full list of parks where you can drop off your Christmas tree. Last year, Chicagoans recycled more than 22,000 trees—here’s to breaking that record this season!
City of Chicago holiday tree recycling locations (alphabetical order):
- Bessemer Park, 8930 S Muskegon Ave
- Clark Park, 3400 N Rockwell St
- Forestry Site, 900 E 103rd St (free mulch available)
- Garfield Park, 100 N Central Park Ave
- Grant Park, 900 S Columbus Dr
- Hiawatha Park, 8029 W Forest Preserve Dr
- Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1369 N Sacramento Ave
- Jackson Park, 6300 S Cornell Ave
- Kelvyn Park, 4438 W Wrightwood Ave
- Kennedy Park, 2427 W 113th St
- Lake Meadows Park, 3117 S Rhodes Ave
- Lincoln Park, East side of Cannon Dr, north of Fullerton Ave (free mulch available)
- Mahalia Jackson Park, 8385 S Birkhoff Ave
- Margate Park, 4921 N Marine Dr (free mulch available)
- Marquette Park, 6700 S Kedzie Ave
- McKinley Park, 2210 W Pershing Rd
- Mt. Greenwood Park, 3721 W 111th St (free mulch available)
- North Park Village, 5801 N Pulaski Rd (free mulch available)
- Norwood Park (Service Yard), 5800 N Avondale Ave
- Portage Park, 4100 N Long Ave
- Riis Park, 6201 W Wrightwood Ave
- Rowan Park, 11546 S Avenue L
- Sheridan Park, 910 S Aberdeen St
- Walsh Park, 1722 N Ashland Ave
- Warren Park, 6601 N Western Ave (free mulch available)
- Wentworth Park, 5701 S Narragansett Ave
- West Chatham Park, 8223 S Princeton Ave