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As the holiday season kicks off, soon enough it will be time to take down your decorations until next year! If you’ve purchased a real Christmas tree this year, there are plenty of options for environmentally friendly disposal. Cleanup for the New Year with these 5 ways to best recycle your Christmas tree.
- Tree-cycling – Generally, trees can be dropped off at a designated site, or picked up by local sanitation to be properly disposed of. These ‘tree cycling’ programs are beneficial to the community because trees will be turned into compost, which can be useful for parks and gardens.
- A New Home – If you have a lake or pond on your property, you can dispose of your tree there! Pine trees will naturally decompose in addition to providing a habitat that will naturally serve the marine life!
- Chop, Chop! – Once you have removed all of the decorations, you can chop up your old tree and use it in an outdoor fire pit! Be sure not to use it indoors and make sure the wood is dry, as both can be a fire hazard!
- Reuse – Branches from your old Christmas tree can be used as mulch for your garden. All this involves is removing branches and chipping them with whatever tools you have. As the needles fall off the branches, they’ll help the soil retain moisture.
- Donate – Trees can also be donated to areas in need! Old Christmas trees can be used as a barrier for erosion, which could be especially helpful for shore communities that may need protection. For example, after Hurricane Sandy, dunes were destroyed, and beach communities were helped immensely by tree donations.
In the spirit of the holiday season, do your part for the environment, and please consider donating your Christmas tree! Get in touch with your local authorities and find out how you can donate today!
