Recycling Your Christmas Tree Is Better For The Environment, And It's Not Hard To Do
You spend so much time and effort into turning your Christmas tree into a festive masterpiece, but what about when the holidays have come and gone and you're left with pine needles on the floor? It may take an extra step or two, but recycling your tree post-Christmas is the best way to go when all is said and done.
Why You Should Recycle Your Tree
It all comes down to the fact that recycling your tree is the environmentally-friendly thing to do. If you simply toss your tree out in the trash or leave it on your curb to be picked up on trash day, it'll likely end up in a landfill. But, if you take a few extra steps to ensure that your tree gets recycled instead, it gives it another purpose beyond just looking festive in your home for a month or so.
Disposing of your Christmas tree in a more sustainable way is especially important, because the Christmas tree business isn't exactly green to begin with. As Isaac Weins, owner of the Wisconsin-based disposal business JDog Junk Removal & Hauling told Realtor.com, "Cutting down and transporting Christmas trees requires time, energy, money, and fuel, so it’s not always the most environmentally friendly process on the front end."
Since trees are naturally biodegradable (artificial trees are a different story, of course), recycling your Christmas tree helps balance out some of the environmental impact that buying one has in the first place. Just, you know, make sure you take off all the lights and decorations first. And if you've sprayed glitter or frost or any other chemicals on your tree, know that it's likely not recyclable anymore.
How Trees Get Recycled and Reused
Christmas trees can be recycled in several different ways, especially since-again-they're biodegradable. One of the main ways trees get reused? They're turned into mulch, which is then often used to spruce up public land (think parks and community gardens) or given to people who need it, according to The New York Times. Some places also use recycled trees to rebuild and support sand dunes at local beaches, while others put them in lakes to be used as artificial environments for fish. They can also be used to line hiking trails or turned into habitats for birds. And sometimes, if the roots happen to still be in tact, they can even be replanted.
Where (and How) Do You Recycle Trees?
Christmas tree collection and drop-off points will likely be different in every city, so you'll have to do some research into how it works where you live. Your state's department of sanitation is a good place to start (if you live in New York City, for example, you'll find info about disposal for both real and fake trees on the DSNY page) and in some cases, there are non-profit organizations you can give them to, too. A quick Google search can help, too. From there, you can take proper steps towards recycling your tree, whether you need to bring it to a particular drop-off location, or arrange for it to be picked up for you.
You can also compost your tree-you'll just need access to a wood chipper to do it, which might be a bit of a challenge. Since pine trees are pretty sturdy and the needles are on the rubbery side, you'll want the tree to be shredded to speed up the process (which could take years otherwise, according to composting guide Can I Compost This?).
What about artificial trees?
One of the perks of artificial Christmas trees is that you don't need to replace them year-after-year, but if you do find yourself looking to dispose of an old fake tree, you've got some options. They're not exactly recyclable, according to Recycle Now, since they're made with a combination of materials. You can look into local organizations that take trees that are still in-tact and donate them to families who can use them, for example. You might also consider turning a broken artificial tree into smaller decorations like wreaths and garlands by reusing the branches.
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