The packages have been opened, a holiday meal consumed, and accumulated trash has been deposited in your refuse bin. While many people will leave Christmas decorations up through January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas) others take the opportunity during the final week of 2023 to put away the holiday decorations and get ready to celebrate the New Year.
The City of Muscatine will once again assist Muscatine and Fruitland residents in recycling their live Christmas trees with curbside collection starting on January 3, 2024. The curbside collection is part of the yard waste collection service provided by the Solid Waste Division.
There are many types of Christmas trees including live, flocked, and artificial. Flocked trees are live trees that have been coated with a white, snow-like spray. Each type of tree has different disposal options, so please take a moment to determine how to properly dispose of your tree.
Unflocked live trees will be collected by the Solid Waste Division on the resident’s refuse collection day starting on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, and continuing through Wednesday, January 31, 2024. The trees must be placed next to the curb for collection.
To prepare unflocked live trees for curbside collection, remove all ornaments, wires, and decorations from the tree along with any stand or other metal objects. Do not place the tree in a plastic bag. Trees taller than five feet should be cut into two sections.
Flocked and artificial trees, along with wreaths, are considered garbage items and cannot be recycled. These items can be taken to the Muscatine Transfer Station for disposal or residents can contact the Transfer Station to schedule a curbside pickup.
For more information on recycling Christmas trees or how to prepare the live tree for collection, contact the Transfer Station at (563) 263-9689.
