How do I get rid of my Christmas tree?

It’s the time of year where getting rid of your Christmas tree and other holiday waste is top of mind. The City of London is advising just how you can go about that.

Various EnviroDepot locations will be operating now through the new year to drop off your Christmas tree:

• Oxford Street EnviroDepot: 1450 Oxford Street West
• Clarke Road South EnviroDepot: 28 Clarke Road
• Clarke Road North EnviroDepot: 21462 Clarke Road
• Landfill Location: 3502 Manning Drive

The dates and times you can drop off your tree and other holiday waste are:

• Friday, Dec. 27: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 28: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 2: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 4: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 8: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 11: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Jan. 12: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 15: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The City of London reminds all EnviroDepots will be closed on New Year’s Day.

You are asked to take off all decorations, tinsel, garland, skirts and lights from your Christmas tree before taking it to an EnviroDepot. Some items have a fee applied.

Alternatively, Christmas trees can be put in your backyard, offering a habitat for birds. Come the spring, if your tree is less than three metres tall, it can be put at the curb for yard waste collection.

When organizing your waste, you are reminded of the following:

• Avoid putting containers on snow banks
• Put wrapping paper and bags in the garbage: Paper coated with plastic or foil have coloured dyes, making them not recyclable. Wrapping paper can cause problems for paper mills.
• Flatten your boxes: Break down, flatten and tie your cardboard boxes together into bundles less than 75 centimetres by 75 centimetres by 30 centimetres. You can also stack the flattened boxes in your blue box. Bigger cardboard boxes can be dropped off at EnviroDepots free of charge.
• Only recycle what can be recycled: Things like clementine boxes, ribbons, bows, and other decorations, plastic toys, Styrofoam, bubble wrap, paper napkins, paper towels and used paper plates should not be put in the recycling bin.

When using your green bin this winter, always try to prevent freezing. You can do this by putting your green bin out for collection in the morning instead of the night before, drain any excess liquid from food scraps before they go into the green bin and line the bottom of the bin with a layer of cardboard, newspaper or an egg carton.

If you have any leftover fat, oil or grease from the holidays, they should be put directly into your green bin and never down the sink or toilet. Using a liner in your green bin can help soak up the grease.

For the full garbage collection schedule, click here.