Christmas is over: Here's how to repurpose your live tree at home, or recycle it in Onslow County
The Christmas holiday has gone as quickly as it came, but many live Christmas trees are still standing.
According to Agriculture Commercial Horticulture Area Agent Lisa Rayburn with the N.C. Cooperative Extension, there are many ways you can take the initiative to recycle your tree on your own.
For example, she said using a chipper for small limbs and add them to your compost pile, or using them as mulch are great ways to recycle your tree. If you don't have a chipper, she said to cut branches off and place them on top of landscaped beds for mulch.
Additional uses include placing your tree in the back of your garden to use as a bird feeder and refuge, or submerging your tree in a private fishpond. Rayburn said the tree creates “structure” in the pond and becomes a fish feeding refuge.
If you'd rather recycle your tree, here's where you can take it.
Onslow County Landfill
The Onslow County Landfill, as well as two of their convenience sites, accept Christmas trees. According to Onslow County Solid Waste Director Randy Vanover, the trees are taken as yard waste, and there is a charge of $1 per tree at the convenience sites, and $31 per ton at the landfill, which equals to $0.02 per pound with a $0.31 minimum.
"Since acquiring the shredder," said Vanover, "we will plan on shredding the trees this year separately and using it for landscaping around the landfill."
More: Here's how the Onslow landfill is using their $816,000 shredder
Onslow County Solid Waste and Landfill is located at 415 Meadowview Road in Jacksonville, and is open Monday-Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, the landfill will be closed Dec. 27 and Jan. 1.
The two convenience sites where trees can be dropped off are Midway Park, located at 122 Carver Drive in Jacksonville, and Folkstone, located at 320 Old Folkstone Road in Holly Ridge.
The convenience sites are open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 910-989-2107 for the main landfill, 910-353-3980, for Midway Park, or 910-327-2444 for Folkstone.
North Topsail Beach
North Topsail Beach will be accepting trees as well.
"The town of North Topsail Beach is establishing an area for residents and visitors to drop off their natural undecorated Christmas trees starting Dec. 26.," said North Topsail Town Manager Alice Derian.
Derian said they have designated an area in the Jefferies parking lot at 316 New River Inlet Road to receive the trees.
"The trees will be available for residents to pick up from Dec. 26 through mid-January to use as a natural alternative for sand fencing," said Derian.
She said the trees can be placed by property owners, and should be placed as far landward as possible without impeding any existing public access to the beach, recreational use, or emergency vehicle access.
She said they do ask that residents follow the guidelines established by CAMA. For more information on these guidelines, visit them online through Facebook and their website.
"Essentially, they can be installed at an angle no less than 45 degrees to the shoreline, no more than 10 feet seaward of the toe of the dune, and no less than seven feet between rows," said Derian.
For more information, call 910-328-1349.
Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Recycle, reuse live Christmas tree in Onslow County
