Recycling the holiday trees

Well the Holiday season is almost over and it’s time to start thinking about taking down the decorations. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, over 33 million real Christmas trees are sold in North America every year and Christmas tree recycling helps return a renewable resource back to the environment. Many waste collection companies offer free holiday tree recycling programs so check out your local resources to see if yours offers a Christmas tree recycling program. My own refuse collection company is Waste Management and they offer free tree recycling within the two week period from 26 December  to January 9th.

Photo credit: Martin Q from Flickr

Beginning December 26 and ending January 9th, Waste Management will collect holiday trees free of charge. To ensure pick up trees must be stripped of all ornaments, garlands, tinsel, flocking, stands, and placed on the curb near your carts, on your regularly scheduled collection day. Trees not meeting these guide lines, (such as flocked trees) will not be picked up for recycling.

“Most people don’t
realize that, as a nation, we generate about 5 million additional tons
of trash during the holiday period between Thanksgiving and New Years
Day, compared to any other time of the year,” said Mike Smith, Market
Area General Manager for Waste Management of Ventura County. “Locally,
recycled trees will have a second life as mulch for gardens and fuel
for electricity.In fact, every year, more than 40,000 tons of Christmas trees require
handling at the end of the holiday season in California. If you have a ‘real’ tree in your home, please use our service to
recycle it after the holiday.

In addition, our local city Landfill is offering free Christmas tree drop-off during the same time period so anyone not on a scheduled collection route can still recycle their trees at no added cost. Even if you can’t  find a scheme near you for recycling your holiday tree, how about making your own mulch from your tree using a tree chipper machine? You could borrow one from neighbors, or a group of neighbors could collectively hire one for the afternoon and mulch all the trees in your street. Or how about chopping the tree up and creating a wildlife area for bugs and critters. Decaying wood is a great habitat for all kinds of insects and a breeding ground for the food of many birds and mammals, and it’s a great wildlife project for the whole family!

Green up your post holiday routine, recycle that tree!

dalgal | My Bio & Articles