Christmas tree pickup in North Reading, MAChristmas treepickup inNorth Reading.

What the town did last January

The town's recycling notice we found for last season listed a single Saturday curbside collection: January 17, 2026, at the curb by 6:30 a.m. Remove all decorations and do not bag the tree. No 2027 date was posted when we checked, and the town's July 2026 change to Casella may affect the schedule, so watch the Recycling and Solid Waste page in December or call the DPW at 978-664-6060. Casella's customer care line is 978-278-3122. The 2026 notice we read was the January 17 collection, so treat the 2027 time and rules as unconfirmed until the town posts them.

JUNKRUN tree pickup

From December 26 to mid January: $40 at the curb or door, $55 carried out from inside up to 8 feet, $75 for over 8 feet, flocked, artificial or on a second floor. Each additional tree at the same stop is $15 off. Tree pickup is its own service at those tree prices, and you can add a couch, boxes or a quarter trailer ($209) at regular junk prices in the same stop. Trees are priced separately from the weekly bulky item, so you do not use up the free slot.

Snow and the 6:30 a.m. deadline

A 6:30 a.m. Saturday curb time and January snow banks are a bad combination. Plows push banks onto the curb, and a tree can be buried or blocked. Set the tree out on the Friday evening if the forecast is dry, keep it clear of the town carts, and shake off the snow. If the tree is missed, the DPW Facility takes yard waste Saturdays, but call to confirm that it takes trees, because the DPW page lists grass clippings and leaves and small branches and twigs. A whole tree is not on that list. Cutting it into pieces under the bundle limit of 3 feet long and 3 inches thick is one option, though that is a lot of work for a six-foot tree.

Before the North Reading tree Saturday

• ✓Check the town page or call 978-664-6060 for the 2027 date.
• ✓Remove lights, tinsel, ornaments and the stand.
• ✓No bag; the town says to put the tree out without one.
• ✓Tree at the curb by 6:30 a.m. on the collection Saturday.
• ✓Keep the tree away from the cart pickup spots.
• ✓If you miss it, book a December 26 to mid January pickup.

Local resources in North Reading

Donation, reuse and recycling options near the pickup. We are not affiliated with these; confirm hours and what they accept before you go.

• Town

  North Reading DPW Facility (Chestnut St)

  Accepts: Grass, leaves, small branches and twigs; waste oil on the last Saturday of the month Apr-Nov, 8 am to noon

  Saturdays 8 am to 4 pm, plus Sundays noon to 4 pm in November. Not a junk or bulky drop-off. In North Reading itself.

  166 Chestnut St, North Reading, MA 01864
  Website for North Reading DPW Facility (Chestnut St)978-664-6060
• Town

  North Reading DPW Office (North St)

  Accepts: Questions about the annual hazardous waste day, yard waste and street permission for materials

  Call before putting a dumpster or pile on a public street or sidewalk. In North Reading itself.

  235 North St, North Reading, MA 01864
  Website for North Reading DPW Office (North St)978-664-6060

Sources

Rules, fees and hours change, so confirm with North Reading before you go.

• Town of North Reading: Yard Waste Disposal at the DPW Facility: “Grass clippings and leaves” · accessed November 1, 2026