Holiday Disposal

Holiday Tree Collection

One live holiday tree is included in the Citywide Collection program between January 2 - January 15 each year. You do not need to call your hauler to schedule collection during this time period. Place your tree next to your garbage cart on your regular collection day. 

Artificial trees and live trees exceeding 6' and 20 pounds are not included, but may qualify for a bulky item pick-up or be collected for an additional fee if all bulky items have been used for the year. Contact your hauler for more information and to schedule pick-up. 

Prepare your Tree for Collection

• Remove all decorations and stand.
• Place the tree next to the garbage cart. Do not place upright in the snow or lean against your cart.   Make sure the tree is not obstructing your carts.
• Limit 1 seasonal tree per household (1 tree per unit for multi-unit properties).

You can also bring your holiday tree to a Ramsey County yard waste site for free. Click here to view collection site hours and locations.

Greenery: Wreaths, Boughs, Swags, Garland

Holiday greenery is not accepted at Ramsey County yard waste collection sites because of the likelihood of contamination from metal wires and decorations. Please place holiday greenery in the trash.

To limit the spread of potential invasive pests like elongate hemlock scale (EHS) and Lymantria dispar (formerly known as gypsy moth), you should dispose of holiday greenery in a timely manner and follow these instructions:

• Put holiday greenery in a plastic bag and place it in your trash. Do not burn holiday greenery.
• Do not leave holiday greenery out in your yard or backyard compost pile all winter. This increases the risk of the greenery either getting or spreading an invasive pest.
• Holiday/Christmas trees and greenery grown in Minnesota have not been found infested with EHS. However, EHS and Lymantria dispar have been found on trees imported to Minnesota.

To learn more, visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s website.

Ramsey County yard waste sites still accept evergreen (holiday/Christmas) trees. They are mulched and later used as fuel to generate electricity. To find a yard waste site near you, visit RamseyRecycles.com/YardWaste.

Reuse Tip

Remove decorations from the wreath, bough or swag and use them to decorate your holiday plants next year. 

String Lights and Electric Cords

String lights and electrical cords cannot be placed in your residential recycling containers! These items can cause damage at recycling facilities by tangling around the equipment. While they can safely be thrown in the trash, they can be safely recycled if they are handled separately. 

Between November 27, 2024 - Jan 22, 2025 string lights and cords can be dropped off at any Saint Paul Public Library or at the Saint Paul Regional Water Services building for recycling. 

For drop-off locations and details, visit: Holiday Lights Recycling

Wrapping Paper and Gift Bags

Most wrapping paper and gift bags are recyclable, but be careful! Wrapping paper with glitter or foil, as well as tissue paper, ribbons, and bows are not recyclable. Make sure that these types of wrapping paper are thrown in the trash.

Reuse Tips

Instead of traditional wrapping paper, consider low-waste gift wrap like reusable fabric bags, paper bags, old maps, or newspaper. If purchasing wrapping paper, choose to purchase paper that is recyclable or made from recycled paper. Recycle Smart and keep glitter, foil, ribbons, and bows out of your recycling cart!

Low-waste Wrapping Paper Ideas

• Wrap the gift in a colorful cloth. The cloth can be part of the gift or just a fun reusable way to wrap.
• Flatten packing paper and let kids draw on the outside.
• Pinch the end of toilet paper or paper towel tubes to wrap small items.

Large or Bulky Items

"Bulky Items" are anything that is too large to fit inside or is prohibited by law from being placed in your garbage cart. Bulky Items include: Furniture, Appliances, Electronics and Mattresses. The citywide garbage collection program includes a number of bulky items per residential property unit per calendar year.

     Small Carts: 2 bulky items included per year

     Medium and Large Carts: 3 bulky items included per year

If you need to dispose of additional items you can pay $10-35 per bulky item (plus tax) to have them collected. The price of disposal of additional items can be found at stpaul.gov/bulky

Contact your hauler to schedule collection.

Contact your hauler at least 48 hours before your regularly scheduled collection day. You can find your hauler and their contact information by visiting our interactive map. All pick-ups will be scheduled within seven days of your request.

Cardboard

After gifts have been exchanged for the holidays, there's often a surplus of cardboard. Not only is it difficult to fit all of this into your recycling cart, boxes from new purchases can also draw unwanted attention to your home as a target for thieves. Stay safe and avoid recycling collection issues by utilizing these resources. 

Seasonal Drop Off

December 4, 2023- January 2, 2024

Saint Paul Police Western District (389 Hamline Ave N)

In an effort to prevent burglaries and keep cardboard out of the trash, the Saint Paul Recycling Program has partnered with the Saint Paul Police Department and Eureka Recycling to collect cardboard. Flatten your extra cardboard and drop it off at the Saint Paul Police Western District. The collection dumpster is located in the visitor parking lot and is open 24/7.

Year-round Drop Off

Open Year Round

309 Como Ave

The recycling Drop-off Center is open year-round. Drop off flattened cardboard (and other recyclables) here, free of charge.

Learn More