Christmas Tree Pickup by Town: Dates and Drop-Offs
Curbside tree pickup dates for Greater Boston towns, A to Z: 2027 dates where posted, last year's schedule where not, and drop-off spots.
If you are in Salem, the tree goes out in December. Its 2026 calendar puts curbside tree pickup in the week of Monday, December 28, so a tree that stays up through New Year’s will miss it.
Everywhere else, a real tree comes down after Christmas and goes out in January. The rules are close to identical: real trees only, no lights, tinsel, ornaments, stands or plastic bags, out by early morning on your regular trash day. Dates below are as posted on November 9, 2026. “Last year” means the town’s January 2026 schedule, which is a good guide but not a promise.
Town by town
| Town | Status | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andover | Posted 2027 | Jan 4-15, 2027, on your regular day | Natural trees, no decorations, one per household per week; over 7 ft, cut in half |
| Arlington | Last year | One curbside tree week in January last season | 2027 week not posted |
| Bedford | Check the town | The 2027 guide has a tree calendar page | The Recycling Center also takes natural trees |
| Belmont | Posted 2027 | First two full weeks in January (Jan 4-14, 2027) | Trees only, no bags or stands |
| Beverly | Posted 2027 | Week of Jan 4, 2027, on trash day | No tinsel, plastic or skirting; also accepted at the Standley Street compost site |
| Billerica | Posted 2027 | Curbside Jan 4-8, 2027 | Or drop at 250 Boston Rd, Dec 26 to Jan 30; real trees and wreaths, no decorations, stands or bags |
| Braintree | Last year | Two weeks in early January on regular trash day | 2027 dates not posted |
| Burlington | Posted 2027 | One week starting Jan 11, 2027 | At the curb by 7 a.m. Monday; over 6 ft, cut in half |
| Danvers | Nothing posted | Has held one Saturday pickup in January in past years | Call the town before putting a tree out |
| Everett | Nothing posted | No tree program or date posted | Call 311 or 617-394-2270 |
| Lowell | Last year | City ran park drop-offs for about three weeks after Christmas | 2027 plan not posted |
| Lynn | Posted 2027 | Jan 4-8, 2027 | Calendar gives dates only; an earlier city flyer said no artificial trees, bags, decorations or stands |
| Lynnfield | None from the town | A local swim team has picked up trees as a fundraiser | Call DPW, or drop at the DPW yard |
| Malden | Last year | Week of Jan 12, 2026, on your trash day | The city’s tree page has not been updated for 2027 |
| Marblehead | Last year | Pickup ran through Jan 16, 2026 | Highway Dept 781-631-1750 |
| Medford | Posted 2027 | Weeks of Jan 3 and Jan 10, 2027 | Opposite your recycling week; Casella handles it |
| Melrose | Last year | Curbside in the first two weeks of January, or drop at the Recycling Center | Strip the tree and do not bag it; 2027 weeks not posted |
| Middleton | None from the town | No curbside trash service; the transfer station page does not mention trees | Call 978-777-0407 |
| Milton | Posted 2027 | Jan 11-15, 2027 | Recycling Center open Sat Jan 9, 9 a.m. to noon |
| Natick | Last year | First two full weeks of January | 2027 dates not posted |
| Needham | None (drop‑off) | No curbside; take it to the RTS tree pile | Bare of decorations, wires and bags; closed Dec 25 and Jan 1 |
| North Reading | Last year | One Saturday curbside collection | Watch the DPW news page for 2027 |
| Peabody | Nothing posted | No tree program or date posted | Peabody Public Services, 978-536-0600 |
| Reading | Last year | One curbside week in January, plus the Compost Center on one January Saturday | 2027 dates not posted |
| Salem | Posted 2027 (December) | Week of Dec 28, 2026, on trash day | A Friday pickup may slide for New Year’s Day; no January 2027 weeks posted |
| Saugus | None scheduled | A tree can go out with the trash during the three weeks after the holiday, per the town FAQ | Solid Waste, 781-231-4036 |
| Somerville | Last year | Curbside on your regular trash day through January | Decorations off, no plastic bag; trees are mulched; no specific dates posted |
| Stoneham | Last year | One January collection | Call DPW, 781-438-0760 |
| Swampscott | Nothing posted | No tree program or date posted | Call the town |
| Tewksbury | Last year | One week, at the curb by 7 a.m. Monday | 2027 dates not posted |
| Topsfield | Nothing posted | No tree program or date posted | G. Mello, 978-352-8581 |
| Tyngsborough | None (drop‑off) | Drop off in January at the DPW or the lot at 180 Lakeview Ave | No bags or decorations |
| Wakefield | Last year | About two weeks of curbside pickup on recycling day | DPW, 781-246-6301 ext 4120 |
| Westford | Not a town service | Fire Fighters Association holds an annual tree collection, around Jan 7‑8 | Confirm with the association |
| Weymouth | Last year | Curbside ran Dec 29 to Jan 9 last season; Hollis Street drop-off through Jan 16 | 2027 dates not posted |
| Wilmington | Last year | DPW collected curbside Jan 5-16, 2026, on regular trash day | Trees are mulched |
| Winchester | None (drop‑off) | No town curbside pickup; permit holders can use the Transfer Station branch area | Wreaths, garland and plastic bags banned |
| Winthrop | Check the town | No date in this table; dates are on the town’s collection page | Bare, unbagged tree out by 7 a.m.; 617-846-1341 x2609 |
| Woburn | Posted 2027 | Weeks of Jan 4-8 and Jan 18-22, 2027 | No bags or decorations; keep the tree clear of snow and ice |
Tips for tree day
- Strip everything. Lights, tinsel, ornaments, stands and skirts contaminate the mulch. Remove the hooks.
- No plastic bags, including the tree-removal bag.
- Cut very tall trees in half where towns ask (Andover over 7 ft, Burlington over 6 ft).
- Put it out early. Several towns say by 7 a.m.
- Do not leave it at the curb for weeks. Towns usually will not collect outside the posted window, and a stray tree can block plows.
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Sources
- Town of Andover: Recycling and Trash Guideandoverma.gov
- City of Lynn: DPW calendarcdnsm5-hosted2.civiclive.com
- City of Woburn: Trash and recyclingwoburnma.gov
- City of Salem: 2026 curbside collection calendarsalemma.gov
- City of Medford: 2026-27 waste bookletresources.finalsite.net
- City of Malden: Christmas tree pickupcityofmalden.org
- Town of Belmont: Collection calendar 2026‑27belmont-ma.gov
- City of Melrose: Solid waste and recyclingcityofmelrose.org
Details such as dates, hours and prices come from the sources above and can change. Check with the organizer before you go.
How we report: every date, price and address comes from a linked source.
