Christmas Tree and Lights Recycling
Seasonal* Program Information
Holiday String Lights Recycling Program*
Holiday lights should NEVER go in your recycling carts! They will tangle and damage our sorting equipment and will not get recycled this way. Holiday string lights are accepted for recycling at drop-off locations ONLY.
In 2019, Winnebago County Solid Waste began collecting holiday string lights for recycling via a drop-off program. In an effort to divert more materials from the landfill and recycle this material, municipalities across the County band together each winter to offer convenient drop-off locations for residents to recycle their broken or unwanted holiday string lights.
Note: This program does NOT include other decorations like ornaments, bulbs, tinsels, beads, yard/house light displays etc. There is no charge at any of the listed participating locations.
The 2022-2023 Municipal Christmas Lights Drop-Off Program has ended. Holiday String Lights can still be brought to the Winnebago County Solid Waste Facility year-round. 2023-2024 program locations will be announced in October.
Christmas Tree Collection Program*
Winnebago County Solid Waste launched a new program during the 2021-2022 holiday season to offer a convenient place to drop-off Christmas Trees for landfill diversion. Yard waste (including real Christmas Trees) is banned from the landfill and should always stay out of your garbage and recycling carts.
While yard waste services are offered year-round at our Sunnyview Landfill & Transfer Station site (fees apply), this program allows for easy disposal of your real trees at no charge following your holiday festivities.* All trees must be free of any artificial components or decorations such as plastic wrap, lights, ornaments, and/or tinsel. Flocked trees are not accepted.
All of the yard waste collected at our Sunnyview Yard Waste location is ground up on-site and sent to the UW-Oshkosh Bio-Digester Program which means your tree is used locally for sustainable energy generation and then tree-cycled back into high-quality compost!
Note: You may also check on your local municipality's website or social media pages for their offered yard waste/Christmas tree collection services.
*Program valid for real Christmas Trees from residential sources only, December 25th-January 31st. Fees apply for other yard waste or trees disposed of outside of this window.