Recycle Your Real Christmas Tree and Holiday Lights

As you take down the holly and pack up the ornaments, prepare your real Christmas tree for life after the holidays. Live trees, garland and wreaths can be recycled into Texas Pure Products mulch and compost. Holiday lights also can be recycled through our electronics recycling program.

Before taking trees and greenery to the drop-off locations or placing them at your collection point, remove all ornaments, lights, decorations, tinsel and the tree stand (no plastics or metals). Flocked trees cannot be recycled.  

Drop-off sites: Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023-Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024

• Jack Carter Park, 2601 Pleasant Valley Dr. (south parking lot off Pleasant Valley)  

• Old Shepard Place Park, 1301 Winding Hollow Ln. (northeast corner of the Shepton High School parking lot off Plano Parkway)  

• Russell Creek Park, 3500 McDermott Rd. (northeast parking lot off McDermott)  

• Schell Park, 2305 Laurel Ln. (southeast parking lot off Laurel) 

No Weekly Yard Trimmings Monday, Dec. 25 through Tuesday, Jan. 2.

If you miss the drop-off deadline, just place your "naked" tree with weekly yard trimmings, beginning Wednesday, Jan. 3. Save space in your recycling cart by adding large cardboard boxes that have been emptied and flattened to your yard trimmings.

Please remember that Monday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Jan. 1 are holidays and all collections are one day later with Thursday collections occurring on Friday.

Keep this info handy by bookmarking Plano.gov/SeasonalRecycling.

Download the 2024 Collection schedules.

Burn Pent Up Energy and Make Friends Over the Holidays

Looking for a place to play over the holidays? Grab a ball and some friends and head over to Carpenter Park for our Holiday Community Free Play! Fields A, B, C and D will be open for casual play from 2 to 8 pm on Dec. 27-29 and Jan. 2-4, 2024. Soccer goals will be set up for individuals and small groups (no organized games or practices allowed). Staff will also be on site to answer questions and ensure appropriate field use. No food is allowed on the fields and all drinks must have a lid.

The address for the Carpenter Park is 6701 Coit Rd. Field users should park in the west lot by the baseball fields, which can be accessed via Carpenter Park Drive or Denham Way.

Get outside and enjoy Plano’s park system! Visit the Parks and Trails page for more information. 

Experience Your City in a Different Way

Apply to become one of the 40 participants in the Plano Citizens Academy. Applications are now open for this 12-week program.

Learn the basic roles and functions of municipal government through in-person simulations, tours and activities, as well as face-to-face meetings with various City departments. Classes begin Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. It's a great way to make community-focused friends while you get an inside look at the City.

Apply today!

Railroad Crossing Morning Closures

K Avenue (southbound)

Friday, Dec. 15, 9 am-Noon

Municipal Avenue (northbound)

Monday, Dec. 18, 9 am-Noon

Municipal and K Avenues at the 12th Street railroad crossing will be reduced to one lane, so the railroad crossing can be safely connected with City traffic signals. Plan an alternate route during these times. The closures should not last more than three hours.

Keep up to speed on the DART Silver line project.

Pet Adoption Special 

Ends Sunday, Dec. 31 

Plano Animal Shelter 

4028 W. Plano Pkwy. 

This holiday season give the gift of a forever home to a furry friend in need!  

● No fees for adult dogs and cats 

● $20 each for puppies and kittens under 4 months old 

Our shelter is overflowing with pets in need of a warm, loving home like yours. Be a hero to a shelter pet. 

View some

of our pets online.

KCS Railroad Resumes Freight Operations

Monday, Jan. 1, 2024

With the major construction activities for the DART Silver Line construction completed, freight operations along the Kansas City Southern Railroad can resume.

The KCS Railroad traffic will be along freight alignment, affecting the at-grade street crossing between Custer Parkway in Richardson and Los Rios Boulevard in Plano. 

Freight traffic will only occur in Richardson and Plano, not within North Dallas.

December City Council Meeting

Tuesday, Dec. 19

Regular Session - 7 pm

Plano Municipal Center

1520 K Ave.

Due to the Christmas holiday, City Council's next meeting is a week early and on Tuesday instead of Monday. The first meeting in 2024 is Monday, Jan. 8. 

Watch for the agendas to post online.

City Holiday Service Hours

Plano Municipal Center is closed Monday and Tuesday Dec. 25-26 and Monday, Jan. 1.

No weekly yard trimmings will be collected between Christmas and New Year's Day. This allows us capacity to pick up the excess holiday trash.

Review the schedule for City building hours.

Featured Jobs

Join the City's

Technology Services team!

Systems Architect

$111k-$161k per year

8+ years of experience with increased responsibilities as a server administrator or engineer

Work with a team of technology managers, engineers and support staff to produce the highest level of technical guidance, vision and support for the City. If you enjoy complex Technology Services processes that require design and integration of technical solutions across multiple functions, then this job is for you.

Apply today!

Plano City News Returns Jan. 9

Thank you for reading Plano City News. Have a safe and happy holiday season. We look forward to sharing more stories on City programs and services in 2024.  

Subscribe to get Plano City News.

© 2023 City of Plano. All right reserved.