Holiday Recycling Resources
From gift wrap to bubble wrap and everything in between, the Omaha Recycling Guide can help you find answers to your recycling questions. The Omaha Recycling Guide is a searchable database with hundreds of household items. See frequently asked questions and find local resources to help you Recycle Right in Omaha, Nebraska! Look up an item by name, or browse by materials like plastics, batteries, and more.
- Visit OmahaRecyclingGuide.org today!
Christmas Tree Recycling Sites
When it’s time to take down the Christmas tree, dispose of it in a sustainable way! Take advantage of these local free or low-cost options for composting real Christmas Trees:
City of Omaha Tree Sites - Dates and Locations will be announced soon!
Take a live Christmas tree to one of many free disposal sites in the Omaha metro area. The City of Omaha's tree sites will be open seasonally during daylight hours, unless noted on the website. Remove all ornaments, lights, wires, nails, and tree stands. Flocked (real) trees are accepted, but NO wreaths or evergreen roping. Toss your tree up on the pile, but don’t leave trash, plastic bags, or rope at the sites – only trees. Volunteer assistance will be available at select sites, on select days.
- Learn more at the City of Omaha’s website: Trees.Wasteline.org
Scouting4Trees - Dates and Locations will be announced soon!
Omaha and Lincoln area residents may be able to schedule a driveway pickup through “Scouting for Trees” – a Boy Scouts’ service project designed to help keep area Christmas trees out of landfills. Only real trees are accepted. Remove all: nails, wires, ornaments, tree stands, lights, and plastic bags. Flocked trees are ok. Sign up in advance as limited dates, times, and locations are available. Donations are encouraged.
- Learn more at: ScoutingforTrees.com
Hillside Solutions (with a paid Compost Club Membership)
For members of Hillside Solution’s year-round compost drop-off program called Compost Club, you can bring your real Christmas trees to the Soil Dynamics Yard near Eppley Airfield at 1725 Avenue G, Omaha, NE 68110. Must remove all decor, lights, and stands (no plastic, metal, or glass accepted). This is available to Compost Club members as part of their membership. Hours are Mon-Fri 8 am-4:30 pm, but please call ahead to confirm at (402) 332-4710 Ext. 5.
- Learn more at: Hillside.Solutions/compostclub
String Light Recycling Drives
Holiday lights not working? Don’t get tangled up about it! Take those broken or unwanted string lights to be recycled! In Omaha, a few holiday light drives are going on now. Below are some details to help you find a special collection container near you:
Scrap Central
- Dates: November 15, 2025 through January 10, 2026
- Drop-off Location: 2728 N. 85th St. (1/2 block South of Maple)
- Hours: Open Mon-Fri 8am-4:45pm
- Website: https://www.scrapcentralrecycling.com/about/community-involvement
Holiday Glass Recycling
Don’t let the holiday leftovers pile up - including glass bottles! After the party, take advantage of these local, glass-recycling options for your empties:
Free Drop-off: The City of Omaha provides free, glass recycling drop-off sites for residential use. (Do NOT place glass in curbside recycling carts - glass can contaminate recyclables and injure workers). Take glass to the PURPLE recycling containers at drop-off locations around town.
- See Glass Recycling Locations at Wasteline.org
Special Curbside Pickup: Glassman Recycling & Repurposing offers a residential curbside pickup service with a membership and/or per-pickup fees.
- Learn more at Glassmanrandr.com
Commercial Pickup: Businesses, apartments, and other organizations can contract with local companies for commercial glass recycling services.
Sustainable Gift Wrapping
Take your gifts from “wrapped" to "WOW!” with sustainable wrapping materials! Here are some ideas:
- Make your own low-waste gift wrap from paper grocery bags or newspapers
- Wrap a gift in reusable fabric, such as a tea towel or cloth napkin
- Add your own embellishments, such as dried herbs or fruit, evergreen branches, recycled gift tags, ornaments, and more
- Make upcycled bows from reused paper strips, such as newspaper or magazines
Download a how-to guide for making upcycled bows and fabric gift wrap
