The town of Dartmouth is offering residents holiday clean-up options to encourage recycling and composting to avoid waste and save landfill space.

Below are disposal options for real Christmas trees after all decorations have been removed. Real Christmas trees are chipped and used as beneficial cover at the local Crapo Hill Landfill.

• Christmas tree collection: For SMART Program participants, real Christmas trees are scheduled to be picked up on the same day as solid waste (in a separate truck) the weeks of Jan. 6 and Jan. 13. Collection begins at 7 a.m. Remove all ornaments, stands, lights, and tinsel and do not place trees in plastic bags. This schedule is subject to change with unforeseen weather conditions.
• Christmas tree drop-off: Dartmouth residents may drop off real Christmas trees at the brush area located at the Department of Public Works, located at 759 Russells Mills Road. The hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday as well as 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Saturday.* The facility is closed on Wednesdays, and a permit is required.

• The brush drop-off area will be closing at 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Tuesday, Dec. 31. During January and February 2025, the only Saturdays the Water Pollution Control Facility will be open for brush drop-off are the second Saturday of each month. These dates are January 11 and February 8. 

 Here are a few tips to help ensure holiday waste ends up in the right place:

• Cardboard: Empty and flatten boxes (cut if necessary) are to be placed in the black lid recycling cart and taken to the Dartmouth Transfer Station. Permit is required. Recycle boxes from online shopping, gift boxes and pizza boxes — completely empty pizza boxes and recycle them, grease is OK, food is not.
• Styrofoam blocks and string lights: Clean Styrofoam blocks and string lights can be dropped off at the Dartmouth Transfer Station with the required permit. These items do not belong in the curbside recycling carts.
• Bubble wrap and air pillows: Clean and dry plastic bags, bubble wrap and air pillows can be dropped off at Stop & Shop, Shaw's, Kohl's and Market Basket to be turned into Trex composite decking (a blend of recycled wood fibers and plastic bags). These items do not belong in the curbside recycling carts.
• Dartmouth Transfer Station: The facility is located at 976 Russells Mills Road and operates Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
• Wrapping paper is not recyclable. For recyclable gift wrap, use newspaper, grocery store flyers, paper bags or packing paper. Give gifts in reusable bags, jars or tins. Bows, ribbons and string cannot be recycled — reuse when possible. Place plain paper greeting cards in the black lid recycling cart. No photo paper, metallic inks, foil, batteries, or glitter. Place empty bottles, cans, jugs, and jars in the gray lid cart.
• Sustainable gifts: Consider low-waste gifts, including experiences such as concerts, movie or theater outings, music or dance lessons, digital gift cards or subscriptions, products made of recyclable material, reusable items or handmade presents.
• Collection delay: No solid waste or recycling collection on Wednesday, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Collection is delayed by one day for the Wednesday and Thursday routes on those weeks.

For additional tips, visit the Dartmouth Recycling Facebook page, visit town.dartmouth.ma.us/solid-waste-recycling-division or call the Dartmouth DPW at (508) 999-0740.