Christmas tree pickup in Waltham, MAChristmas treepickup inWaltham.

What the brochure says

The wording is short: trees go curbside for the three weeks after Christmas, with drop-off sites as a secondary option on the city site. The city has not published a pickup calendar for trees, and we have not confirmed a drop-off address. Call the Recycling Department at 781-314-3390 or check the website after December 25. Do not set a tree out earlier than Christmas weekend, since the three-week window starts after the holiday. Keep the tree whole until it leaves the house, because a broken-up tree is harder for a crew to load.

Getting a tree to the curb

Remove the stand, lights and ornaments, and do not bag it. Trash can go out from one hour before sundown the night before, so ask the Recycling Department whether trees follow the same rule. Streets with a narrow strip shared with trash barrels need the tree set apart from them so a crew can reach it. Do not leave the tree against a storm drain or in front of a neighbor's barrel. If you rent, tell the landlord that the tree is out so it is not mistaken for dumped waste by the next tenant.

Snow, cold, and the last-week rush

Trees frozen into a snowbank are hard for a crew to pull. Set them on cleared pavement and skip trees on top of storm drains. If a tree misses the window, JunkRun picks trees up from Dec 26 to mid January at $40 to $75, and a quarter trailer at $209 takes the tree, boxed decorations and a broken artificial tree together. Waltham's yard waste season runs to early or mid-December and has ended by then, so no regular yard waste pickup covers a tree.

Tree prep for the Waltham curb

• ✓Wait until after Christmas Day to set it out
• ✓Strip the stand, lights, tinsel and ornaments
• ✓No plastic bag or tree bag
• ✓Place on cleared pavement, off storm drains
• ✓Phone 781-314-3390 if no pickup notice is posted by New Year's
• ✓Check the city website for drop-off sites if the curbside notice is late

Local resources in Waltham

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

• Town

  Waltham Recycling Department

  Accepts: Free yard waste stickers at 165 Lexington St

  Office hours Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm; the place for questions on the city's rules. In Waltham itself.

  165 Lexington St, Waltham, MA 02452
  Website for Waltham Recycling Department781-314-3390

Sources

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

• City of Waltham: Recycling Brochure 2026-2027: “Residents can place Christmas trees curbside for three weeks following Christmas day ... drop-off locations as a secondary option” · accessed October 31, 2026
• City of Waltham: Trash, Recycling and Yard Waste Schedule: “Containers may be placed curbside one hour before sundown the night before your scheduled pick-up day” · accessed October 31, 2026