Recycling During the Holiday Season

Published on January 03, 2023

SAN ANTONIO (December 22, 2023) – Wondering what to do with your live Christmas tree after the holidays? The City of San Antonio’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) will be operating four recycling centers in January for customers to recycle their live Christmas trees. Even though trees are biodegradable over time, recycling keeps them out of the landfill.

Customers can also place smaller live trees in their green organic bins for their normal collection dates. The cart lid must close completely, and customers are asked to not bag their trees. In mid-January, customers may visit the Bitters Brush Recycling Center and receive free mulch from collected trees while supplies last.

During the holidays, SWMD wants to remind customers of the following items that are accepted in the blue recycling cart:

• cardboard shipping boxes
• clean, plain, wrapping paper (free of glossy or glitter finishes)
• narrow mouth plastic bottles and jugs
• glass bottles and jars
• metal cans 

Flowers and decorative plants are accepted in the green organics cart. Please remove any non-compostable material including florist wire and watering foam. Remove plants from their pots before putting into the green cart. Additionally, wreaths and garlands held together by metal forms or florist wire do not go in the green cart.

Food scraps are essential to make compost. Place peels, rinds, nuts, eggshells, husks, and bread in a plain brown paper bag. Keep the bag in the freezer and on collection day, this frozen bundle will keep the green cart clean.

For questions on how to dispose of specific items, or to learn more about SWMD’s collection services please visit SARecycles.org.