Christmas tree recycling program provided by Medicine Hat. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

By Jayk Sterkenburg

WHAT TO KNOW

Here’s what to do with your Christmas tree and other holiday waste in Medicine Hat

Dec 27, 2024 | 1:38 PM

Medicine Hat is offering multiple options to recycle your Christmas tree — as well as other waste you may have accumulated.

Christmas has officially come and gone. Much decorating comes with the holiday, as well as gift wrapping.

Christmas trees can be a burden to dispose of once they are no longer needed for the season.

The city provides several locations to effectively recycle your tree.

1. 20 Northlands Way NE — Northlands Co-op Recycling Depot

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2. 240 Kipling St. SE — Kipling Street

3. Recycling Depot 3292 Dunmore Rd. SE — Southwest corner of the Medicine Hat Mall parking lot

Shane Briggs, the city’s waste and recycling manager, said that the program gives the trees a “second life”.

“The significance is people promote their own environmental stewardship,” he said.

“By bringing the tree, we kind of give it a second life. In the compost world. And it helps us with our compost process.”

Briggs asked that, before you drop off your tree, plastic bags, stands, lights, tinsel and all decorations are removed.

Christmas trees must be “stripped”, or clear of any decor. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

Briggs said that included decor on trees can create a lot of work for staff to manually sort through. It can damage city equipment as well.

He said that gift wrapping can also be recycled, at one of the city’s depots.

“Wrap can be recycled if it has a symbol on it. And if it does have the symbol on it, you just want to make sure that the tape’s ripped off of it. It’s just basically the paper,” he said.

Briggs added that ribbons and bows must also be removed from giftwrap, and foil paper is not able to be recycled.

Artificial trees cannot be recycled in this program, or in the blue recycling cart program either.

They should rather be discarded in the garbage, or donated to someone who will accept them.

Other alternatives include taking your artificial tree to the landfill. A real Christmas tree can also be discarded at the compost facility.

Both of these are located within the city’s Waste Management Facility.

The recycling locations, however, provide convenience with proximity.

You can drop off your tree anytime until Jan. 30.

The 2025 residential waste collection calendar is available to view now.