Recycling Christmas Tree is Easy and Convenient

HONOLULU - The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) encourages all residents to recycle their Christmas trees properly to help reduce the volume of waste going to Hawaii’s landfills. Thousands of evergreen trees are imported to Hawaii every year for Christmas and once recycled the fragrant chips and compost can be used for landscaping and home gardens. Trees must be bare of all decorations and removed from plastic tree bags. Flocked trees cannot be recycled.

Because Oahu residents now have many options when it comes to tree recycling, DOH is discontinuing its annual “Treecycling” collection sites for Honolulu City & County. Please do not drop-off trees at any of the former Treecycling collection sites as they create a great inconvenience for the schools and parks.

Oahu residents are encouraged to take advantage of the City & County’s curbside green waste collection program. This program is not only a convenient way to recycle Christmas trees; the curbside program is available year-round to recycle other green waste.

Trees may also be dropped off at any of the seven Oahu Refuse & Recycling Convenience Centers. All Convenience Centers are open 7 days a week; 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Oahu Convenience Center locations and phone numbers:

• Ewa, Geiger Road, near gate to Barbers Point NAS, Ph. 226-2996
• Laie, behind the City’s Laie Corporation Yard, Ph. 293-8714
• Wahiawa, intersection of Kamananui Road and Wilikina Drive, Ph. 621-3648
• Waianae, off Plantation Road, next to the Waianae Landfill, Ph. 696-4203
• Waimanalo, Hihimanu Street near the sewage treatment plant, Ph. 259-7182
• Waipahu, Waiphau Depot Road, near the Police Academy, Ph. 676-8878
• Kawailoa, Kawailoa Road, Ph. 637-5511

Trees will also be accepted at:

• Hawaiian Earth Products Leeward (Campbell Industrial Park), M - F, 7:00am to 3:30pm, Sat, 7:30am to 3:00pm, Ph. 682-5895
• Hawaiian Earth Products Windward (Kailua), 7 days a week, 7:00am to 4:30pm, Ph. 261-5877

For recorded Oahu Christmas tree recycling information, call: 521-2447

Hawaii County

The County of Hawaii, Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division offers Christmas tree recycling at 10 of its 21 transfer stations.

Trees will be accepted from December 25th through January 6th at the following transfer stations:

• East Hawaii - Hilo, Kea`au, and Pahoa Transfer Stations
• West Hawaii - Kealakehe, Keauhou and Puako Transfer Stations
• South Hawaii – Waiohinu
• North Hawaii - Honoka`a, Waimea and Ka`auhuhu Transfer Stations

Trees will be chipped on site and chips may be picked up from January 7th thru the 14th at the same locations. Signs are posted at the selected locations for Christmas tree drop-off.

Kauai County

Christmas trees may be dropped off at County Transfer Stations, which are open every day excluding holidays from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Transfer station locations:

• Hanalei Transfer Station 5-3781 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei 96714, (808) 826-7070
• Kapaa Transfer Station 5051 Kahi Road, Kapaa 96746, (808) 822-7334
• Lihue Transfer Station 3450 Ahukini Road, Lihue 96766, (808) 241-6854
• Hanapepe Transfer Station 4380 Lele Road, Hanapepe 96716, (808) 335-0624

Trees will also be accepted at:

• Kekaha Landfill, open every day excluding holidays from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Ph. (808) 337-9213
• Kauai Nursery and Landscape, 3-1550 Kuamalii Hwy, Lihue 96766, (808) 245-7747. Trees will be accepted 7 days a week, 24 hours per day. The tree recycling drop point is outside main entrance gate of the facility, which is located on Kaumualii Hwy, about one mile south of Puhi.

For further information, contact the Kauai County Recycling Office at (808) 241-6891.

Maui County

The residents may drop-off their trees at the following facilities:

• Maui Earth Compost Company, Hansen & Pulehu Road, Mon-Sat, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
• Maui E.K.O, Central Landfill on Pulehu Road, Mon-Sun, 7am to 2:30 pm
• Olowalu Recycling Center, Mon-Sat, 9:00am to 4:00 pm; Sun., 8am to 2:00pm
• Hana Landfill, Mon.-Fri, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm; Sat. 8am to Noon
• Molokai Naiwa Landfill, Mon-Fri, 8:00 am to 4:30pm; Thu. Sat. Sun, 8am to Noon
• Lanai Company Nursery, Mon-Fri, 8am to 3:00pm

Treecycling: Saturdays, Jan. 3 & 10, 8:00am to 2:00pm

• Kahului: Papa Avenue Soccer Field
• Haiku Community Center
• Hannibal Tavares Community Center
• Kihei Kalama Park North End

Please only drop-off trees at collection sites during the specified dates and times. Trees left unattended create a great inconvenience for the parks and community centers.

For more information, contact:

• Recycle Maui County Hotline: 270-7880
• Molokai 800-272-0117
• Lanai 800-272-0125

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For more information, contact:

Laura M. Lott
Department of Health
Information Specialist
Phone: (808) 586-4418
E-mail: lmlott@mail.health.state.hi.us