Milwaukee to no longer collect Christmas trees curbside, Department of Public Works says

Milwaukeeans will no longer be able to leave real Christmas trees on the curb for collection, according to the city's Department of Public Works — a notice that has raised concerns among elected officials and prompted the scheduling of a special meeting.

A DPW memo sent to Common Council members and the Mayor's Office Tuesday cites a change in a state Department of Natural Resources requirement as the reason for the shift at the city level.

"The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently revisited its longstanding interpretation that previously deemed Christmas trees as a household decoration," DPW Marketing and Communications Officer Tiffany Shepherd wrote in the memo. "Instead, the DNR has clarified that it now considers holiday trees to be yard waste and thus subject to the State’s yard waste landfill ban. Communities are expected to manage them accordingly."

What should Milwaukeeans do with their Christmas trees if they won't be collected at the curb?

Historically, Shepherd wrote, Milwaukee residents have been able to take trees to the city's two drop off centers or leave them on the curb for garbage crews to collect.

Residents will now have to take them to the drop off centers or "make other arrangements" since the city does not have seasonal brush collection from December through March, she wrote.

Additional tree drop of sites available Jan. 11-15

From Jan. 11-15, the department will provide additional temporary locations for the trees to be dropped off, though staff will not be on site to help with unloading them or putting them in a collection area.

The permanent drop off centers are located at:

• 3879 W. Lincoln Ave.
• 6660 N. Industrial Rd. (Enter Industrial Road from Mill Road)

The temporary locations will be announced this month, according to the department's website.

Dropped off trees will be composted.

Special meeting Monday at Milwaukee City Hall regarding Christmas tree disposal

The notice prompted Ald. Robert Bauman to schedule a special meeting of the council's Public Works Committee on Monday.

“This change is going to be creating a huge problem for the city, as streets, alleys and vacant lots will be littered with thousands of discarded trees for months,” he said in a statement.

The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Monday at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St., in Room 301-B.

This story will be updated.

Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.