Hawai‘i County to Recycle Holiday Trees

The Hawai‘i County Solid Waste Division of the Department of Environmental Management will again offer Christmas tree recycling (treecycling).

Courtesy photo

Between Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, and Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, residential customers may leave Christmas trees in the designated areas (not in the rubbish chutes) during normal business hours, at any county landfill or transfer station (excluding Miloli‘i and Ocean View Transfer Stations).

Trees should be free from all decorations, stands, lights, tinsel and ornaments.

Do not drop off artificial or flocked trees in the designated areas. Any flocked trees, artificial trees or trees with tinsel are not recyclable and may be disposed of in the regular trash chutes.

The facility attendants will direct the public to the proper drop-off point.

For more information or a map and directions to drop-off locations, go to Hawaii Zero Waste.

All commercial customers must recycle trees at either the East Hawai‘i Organics Facility in Hilo or the West Hawai‘i Organics Facility in Pu‘uanahulu. Residential loads that contain both green waste and trees will be required to scale. All commercial haulers or commercial holiday tree collectors must proceed to the county scale house prior to disposal.

For Hilo Recycling and Transfer Station, residential customers with only holiday trees may proceed directly to the East Hawai‘i Organics Facility. Look for the designated area to drop off trees and there is no need to go to the county scale as is normally required.

Customers utilizing the facility in Pu‘uanahulu for Christmas tree recycling should follow the same year-round procedures for greenwaste recycling. Customers must immediately proceed to the scale upon entering the facility.

Also, recycle your Kadomatsu decorations with other greenwaste. Kadomatsu decorations are normally a combination of bamboo, pine and flowers. Kadomatsu is a tradition that began 600 years ago in Japan as a way of offering luck in the new year.

For more information on recycling in Hawai‘i County, call the Solid Waste Division Office at (808) 961-8270.