MILWAUKEE, Wis. As Milwaukee residents settle into 2026 and begin packing away holiday decorations, the city is reminding homeowners about its Christmas tree collection service available through the end of January.Watch: Milwau kee residents get ready for Christmas tree collection Milwaukee residents get ready for Christmas tree collectionThe City of Milwaukee offers free Christmas tree pickup for residents who already receive DPW curbside waste and recycling services. The collection period runs from December 26, 2025, through January 31, 2026."It's been crazy up until the holiday, so the week or two weeks after the holiday are the times that I get to actually sit down and relax and enjoy the decorations, enjoy the atmosphere," Patty Whiting said. Whiting, a Milwaukee resident who owns a real Christmas tree, uses the city's mobile app to request pickup."I use the app, the mobile Milwaukee city app... just click for a garbage a Christmas tree garbage pickup," Whiting said.Tree collection operates separately from regular garbage service. Cut trees must be completely free of all decorations, including fake snow, and cannot be bagged. Trees sprayed with fake snow cannot be composted."They let us know that we they want to be notified separately to come pick up the trees. That's fantastic. I love that, and it's going to be treated separately than the regular garbage," Whiting said.For residents who prefer not to wait for pickup, the city offers two drop-off locations during regular operating hours: South side: 3879 W Lincoln Avenue North side: 6660 N Industrial Road (must enter Industrial Road from Mill Road)Matthew Guenther, another Milwaukee resident with a real tree, has used both pickup and drop-off options."There's been some years where the city hasn't picked it up, and we've gone it up, and we've gone to the community, like, kind of recycle center," Guenther said. All collected trees will be shredded and composted. The city warns that snow and ice control operations may cause delays in collection service.Both Whiting and Guenther appreciate real Christmas trees for their smell and ambiance but emphasize the importance of fire safety."Oh, for goodness sakes, it's absolutely a fire hazard... as soon as it gets to get real dry and it's not taking water anymore, then it's gone. It's out of the house. It's at the curb. We got to be careful," Whiting said.Wreaths typically cannot be composted due to wire and plastic backings and should be placed in garbage carts. However, wreaths completely free of decorations, wire, and plastic can be placed at collection points for composting.Artificial Christmas trees can be placed at garbage collection points but should not be put in garbage carts.Residents can request tree collection through Milwaukee.gov/ClickForAction, the MKE Mobile Action app, or by calling (414) 286-CITY.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less