Got a Christmas tree that won’t last much longer? A strand of lights that only lights up halfway? The Mid America Regional Council’s Solid Waste Management District is offering information on how to recycle and compost them.
Natural Christmas trees are considered yard waste by most waste management companies, which is illegal to dump in Missouri landfills and heavily discouraged in Kansas.
Nadja Karpilow, an environmental planner with the Mid America Regional Council says this is because of the wide range of uses composted trees have even after they’ve died.
“They can be used as trail surfaces or erosion control,” she says. “Some folks like to actually put whole Christmas trees into big lakes and that can actually help the fish habitat.”
According to Karpilow, composting natural Christmas trees is often the Mid America Regional Council’s most asked about service each year.
The organization has a list of drop-off and pick up recycling services located on both the Kansas and Missouri side of the Kansas City metro on their Recycle Spot website.
The site allows residents to search for nearby services based on their zip code and the items they are looking to recycle.
Karpilow advises residents to call these services in advance in order to learn when they will be operational, especially for those wanting to compost Christmas trees.
“A lot of local governments (run the services) and have a time period at which they will accept the Christmas trees,” she says. “It's a good idea to look through that list and then call first just to make sure. We don't want people to be illegally dumping after that period is over.”
A full list of locations offering natural tree composting can be found below:
Missouri:
Archie
- Yard Waste Collection Site
- 816-293-5601
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
- Archie residents only
Belton
- Kansas City Composting
- 816-761-3046
Blue Springs
- Pink Hill Park
- 816-228-011
- Dec. 19–Feb. 2.
Buckner
- Yard Waste Drop-off Site
- 816-650-3191
- Buckner residents only
Excelsior Springs
- Recycling Center
- 816-630-0755
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
Freeman
- Yard Waste Collection Site
- 816-250-2902
- Freeman residents only
Gladstone
- Regional Brush and Yard Waste Recycle Facility
- 816-436-5442
- Gladstone, Pleasant Valley, Liberty, Parkville and Lake Waukomis residents only
Kansas City, Missouri
- (North) Leaf and Brush Drop-off Site
- 816-535-9741
- (East Bottoms) Leaf and Brush Drop-off Site
- 816-535-9741
- (Southeast) Leaf and Brush Drop-off Site
- 816-535-9741
- (East) Missouri Organic Recycling, Inc.
- 816-535-9741
- (South) Suburban Lawn and Garden Yard Waste Recycling Center
- 816-941-2438
Kearney
- Recycling Center
- 816-628-4142
- Dec. 26–Jan. 14
- Kearney residents only
Lawson
- Yard Waste Collection Site
- 816-580-3217
- Lawson residents only
Lee’s Summit
- Resource Recovery Park PDA
- 816-550-1612
Liberty
- Bennett Park
- 816-439-4360
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
Orrick
- Yard Waste Collection Facility
- 816-770-3607
- Orrick residents only
Platte City
- Yard Waste Drop-off Site
- 816-858-3046
- Dec. 27–Jan. 10
- Platte City residents only
Richmond
- City Hall Parking Lot
- 816-776-5304
- Dec. 26–Jan. 16
- Richmond residents only
Riverside
- Damon Pursell Yard Waste Facility
- 816-876-8898
Smithville
- Little Platte Park, Smithville Lake
- 816-407-3400, ext. 3
Sugar Creek
- Courtney Ridge Landfill
- 816-257-7999
Weatherby Lake
- Venita Access Area (corner of Potomac and Pleasant Ford streets)
- 816-529-3502
- Weatherby Lake residents only
Kansas:
Bonner Springs
- North Park
- 913-422-7010
- Dec. 26–Jan. 16
Edgerton
- Big Bull Creek Park
- 913-438-7275
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
Kansas City, Kansas
- Alvey Park
- 913-573-8327
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
- City Park
- 913-573-8327
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
- Stony Point Park
- 913-573-8327
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
- Wyandotte County Park
- 913-573-8327
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
- Missouri Organic
- 816-535-9741
Leavenworth
- Transfer Station
- 913-727-2858
- Dec. 1–Jan. 31
- Leavenworth County residents only
- Municipal Brush Site
- 913-682-0650
- Dec. 26–Jan. 7
- Leavenworth residents only
Leawood
- Leawood City Park
- 913-663-9154
- Dec. 26–Jan. 15
- Ironwoods Park
- 913-663-9154
- Dec. 26–Jan. 15
- Tomahawk Park
- 913-663-9154
- Dec. 26–Jan. 15
Lenexa
- Little Mill Creek North Park
- 913 477-7100
- Dec. 26–Jan. 10
Olathe
- Kill Creek Park
- 913-438-7275
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
- Heritage Park
- 913-438-7275
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
- Yard Waste Facility
- 913-971-5178
- Olathe residents only
Overland Park
- Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
- 913-895-6273
- Dec. 26–Jan. 9
- Youngs Park
- 913-895-6273
- Dec. 26–Jan. 9
- Quivira Park
- 913-895-6273
- Dec. 26–Jan. 9
- Indian Creek Recreation Center
- 913-895-6273
- Dec. 26–Jan. 9
Paola
- Miami County Transfer Station
- 913-745-1912
- Wallace Park
- 913-259-3620
- Dec. 26–Jan. 16
Prairie Village
- Franklin Park
- 913-385-4647
- Dec. 23–Jan. 15
- Prairie Village residents only
- Porter Park
- 913-385-4647
- Dec. 23–Jan. 15
- Prairie Village residents only
- Taliaferro Park
- 913-385-4647
- Dec. 23–Jan. 15
- Prairie Village residents only
Roeland Park
- Roe Pkwy & W 48th St
- 913-722-2600
- Dec. 26–Jan. 9;
- Roeland Park residents only
Shawnee
- Waste Management Customer Convenience Center
- 913-631-8181
- Theater in the Park (Shawnee Mission Park)
- 913-438-7275
- Dec. 26–Jan. 31
