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The holidays are over, and your home is bursting with tinsel, ornaments, and that slightly concerning inflatable snowman. Time to reclaim your living space. Here’s how to get rid of Christmas decorations responsibly (and maybe even make a few bucks in the process).
1. Donate to Charity Organizations
Your gently used decorations can bring joy to families who can’t afford new ones. Goodwill, Salvation Army, and local churches accept holiday decor year-round. Just keep it in good condition (no broken ornaments or lights that only work when you tap them just right).
Call ahead to confirm what they’ll accept. Some charities host holiday donation drives in late January, which is perfect timing. You’ll get a tax deduction and the satisfaction of knowing your penguin-themed tree skirt will live on.
2. Recycle Through Municipal Programs
Not everything belongs in the regular trash. Real Christmas trees can be dropped off at designated recycling centers where they’re turned into mulch or compost. Far better than a landfill.
String lights and electronic decorations contain metals and plastics that need special handling. Check with your local recycling center about e-waste programs. Some hardware stores accept old holiday lights for recycling and might even give you a discount on new LED replacements.
3. Join a Decoration Swap Event
Community swap events are popping up everywhere, especially in early January. Trade your snowflake collection for someone else’s vintage ornaments. No money changes hands.
Check Facebook groups, community centers, or local zero-waste stores for swap opportunities. Green Bee-style refill shops and sustainability-focused organizations often host these events. You might actually leave with decorations that match your aesthetic this time.
4. Sell Online
Your vintage or high-quality decorations could actually be worth something. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, and Poshmark are all fair game for holiday decor. Vintage ornaments, themed collections, and barely-used artificial trees sell particularly well.
Take clear photos, be honest about condition, and price competitively. Lot sales work great—bundle similar items together rather than trying to sell individual ornaments. Post in late January when people are already thinking about next year’s storage solutions, or wait until October when early planners start shopping.
5. Curbside Pickup for Bulk Items
Got a massive artificial tree or boxes upon boxes of decorations? Some waste management companies offer bulk item pickup. This works for things that can’t be donated or recycled (damaged artificial trees, broken outdoor displays, decorations that are genuinely trashed).
Schedule a pickup through your city’s waste management service. There may be a small fee, but it beats trying to stuff a seven-foot tree into your sedan. Don’t use this for items that could be donated or recycled. Unnecessary landfill waste helps nobody.
6. Specialty Recycling for Lights and Electronics
Those tangled string lights deserve better than the trash. Organizations like Christmas Light Source and local hardware stores run year-round recycling programs for holiday lights. They strip the copper wiring and recycle the plastic coating separately.
Animated decorations, musical ornaments, and light-up displays need special handling because of the batteries and circuit boards. Take these to e-waste collection events or designated drop-off locations. Best Buy accepts small electronics for recycling.
7. Compost Real Trees and Natural Decorations
Real tree? Turn it into garden gold. Remove all ornaments, tinsel, and lights first (nothing ruins compost faster than glitter). Cut the tree into smaller pieces and add it to your compost pile, or check if your city offers tree chipping services.
Pine needles make excellent mulch for acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries. Pinecones, dried orange slices, and other natural decorations go straight into compost. Your garden will thank you come spring.
8. Get Creative with Repurposing
Before you toss everything, consider creative reuses. Ornament hooks become chip clips, gift bows turn into cat toys, and ribbon finds new life as gift wrap next year. Glass ornaments can be filled with photos or small trinkets for year-round decor.
Broken ornaments? Mosaic art project. Excess wrapping paper? Line drawers or use as packing material. That Santa hat your teen refuses to wear? Dog costume. You get the idea. A little creativity can save money and reduce waste.