WEST HAVEN, Jan. 4, 2023 — The city reminds residents not to put Christmas trees in plastic bags or stands for curbside pickup.

Lights must also be removed from Christmas trees. Plastic bags and other items can become tangled in the machine that grinds the trees into compost.

Christmas trees will be picked up in January and February only. Residents needing a pickup after Feb. 28 will be charged a $25 fee. Christmas trees can also be brought to the compost site at 1 Kimberly Ave.

Also, residents are reminded that five 2023 holidays will delay curbside pickup one day.

Affordable Waste Systems LLC of East Haven, West Haven’s private contractor for rubbish and recyclables, will not pick up rubbish, recyclables or metals on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If a holiday falls on a weekday, pickup for that week will move ahead one day. But when a holiday like Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday, only Thursday and Friday’s collections will move up a day.

Thanksgiving is also the only holiday that excludes metal pickup in those affected districts.

Separate metals and recyclables from regular trash.

Detailed information about the city’s trash and recycling guidelines is available at Bulk Trash Pickup.