This is How to Sustainably Recycle Your Christmas Tree
Taking care of the Christmas tree is everyone’s favorite thing to procrastinate. Come on, moving real trees is always a disaster. You end up shedding needles all over the house, knocking things over on your way, and in the end, you’re never really sure if you did what you were supposed to do anyway! Is it going to get disposed of? Where? By whom? And when?
We already discussed the best ways to source your Christmas tree in a previous article, but let’s be honest, sourcing is only half of the problem. Now that Christmas is behind us and the push to get our homes clean for the new year is quickly approaching, follow our guide to disposing of your tree the right way. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as complicated as you might think!
Your City Knows Best
Fortunately, disposing of Christmas trees is pretty common this time of year, and a lot of city governments and parks departments have come up with processes for disposing of trees in sustainable ways.
It’s important to look into your city’s recycling program because it’s often date-dependent, and you do not want to miss your date.
For example, in NYC, the Department of Sanitation has a series of special pickup days to gather disposed Christmas trees and recycle them into compost for the parks department.
Other cities, like Boston, pick up trees during the first two weeks of January, and if your tree is disposed of after those two weeks it will go into a landfill.
Atlanta has a special Bring One For the Chipper event every year that has collected over 6 million trees since the program started.
If you won’t be home within the time frame of pick-up, check with a neighbor or friend to see if they can help you out.
Compost, Compost, Compost!
This might be news to many of us, but the pine needles and branches of a Christmas tree are an ideal base for a compost pile. If you are lucky enough to have space for a home compost, then disposing of your tree could be the perfect time to start a new pile.
Make sure you trim the branches enough so that they can break down easily, and allow your tree to dry out slightly to make it easier for bacteria to break through the waxy coating.
As long as you top your tree compost with other natural materials that are suitable for composting, you will be on a fast track to some nice moisture-filled compost for your spring garden.
If you don’t have a compost set-up at home, don’t worry! Many cities have composting sites available that take trees during this time. Some local organizations will even pick up your tree and deliver it for you in exchange for a donation!
Mulch, much?
Like tree-recycling programs, many cities also have mulching programs where you can request that your tree be turned into mulch for your own use or community use.
The New York City Parks Department has a Mulchfest event every year, during which community members can bring their trees to different sites around the city to make mulch for the city's many parks.
You can also make your own mulch by trimming the branches into small, one-to-two-inch pieces, and setting them up in your garden beds as a mulch path for moving throughout the garden in the spring.
Call to the Wild
Again, for those sustainable baddies with an outdoor space conducive to inviting in wildlife, you can place your tree outside and allow your neighborhood critters to make it their home.
Leave it in its stand, or lay it on the ground, for the rest of the winter, it will be a wonderful shelter for birds, squirrels, and rabbits.
You can also wrap your tree in orange slices and popcorn to make it a nice snacking spot for birds.
Or, seek out local fish ponds that are looking for Christmas trees to be used as fish feeders.
We hope that you find a method for disposing of your tree that works for you. It might take a careful bit of research, but in the end, it isn’t too difficult to ensure that you finish your holiday season the susty way!