Christmas Tree Recycling
is provided after Christmas and through New Year's
each year
by the
Chipped Christmas trees are provided as mulch at the conclusion of the collection.
Recycle
via Public Service Announcements and posters at County transfer
stations.
So...
Now that the presents have all been handed out from under
the tree and
New Year’s resolutions are looming around the corner,
it’s time to
start thinking about recycling your Christmas tree.
Tree recycling can be a simple and great way
to start off your new year with an eco-friendly
act of kindness.
Between 30 and 35 million real Christmas trees are sold in
the U.S. each year.
Luckily, about 93 percent of those trees are currently
being recycled
through more than 4,000 available recycling programs.
A county in Indiana uses a tub grinder to recycle their
community’s trees into mulch.
This is the same process the County of Hawaii uses here on the Big Island.
Treecycling is a simple way to bring a renewable and
natural
source back to the environment – and not the landfill –
where decomposition
rates are slowed due to lack of oxygen.
Real Christmas trees can be recycled in a
variety of ways.
They are commonly turned into mulch and used in landscaping
and gardening or chipped and used for playground material,
hiking trails, paths
and walkways.
They are also used for beachfront erosion prevention,
lake and
river shoreline stabilization and fish and wildlife habitat.
The National Christmas Tree Association highlights projects
that are thriving
examples of Christmas tree recycling and reuse.
From wildlife
habitat creation to sand dune restoration,
Christmas trees are being recycled
into great use in communities nationwide.
Before recycling your tree, make sure to:
• Remove all stands, lights, tinsel and ornaments (including
that great treecycle ornament, which can be put away for next year).
• Check the collection and drop-off dates for treecycling in
your area – you don’t want to miss the deadline, and dates and times can change
on occasion.
• Do not place your Christmas tree inside a plastic bag. It
should be left in its natural state for recycling.
• There are often community groups, such as the Boy Scouts of
America, who will come pick up your tree for a small donation and take it to
the recycling facility for you.
Friendly Reminders:
• If any of those Christmas tree ornaments or decorations
isn’t going to make it onto the tree next year, please remember to recycle or
donate them.
• Upgrading to LED lights next year? Remember to recycle your
incandescent lights at holidayLEDS.com
or donate them to a worthy cause.
• Avoid burning your Christmas tree as it creates unnecessary
air pollution and can represent a fire hazard.
• Artificial trees cannot be recycled. They are made from
mainly non-renewable plastics, often containing PVC, a petroleum-derived
plastic. If you do have an artificial tree that you no longer use, consider
donating it to a worthy cause or prolonging its life through good care and
storage.
• “Living” Christmas trees should not be recycled with
traditional Christmas trees. Arrangements should be made to replant them in a
timely fashion in order to keep them alive. Many places, such as your local
parks department, school or community organization, will accept the living
trees for replanting.
Recycling Tree Ornaments:
Generally, all the decorations you create for your tree are made from things you
would usually throw away. For example, the garland can be made from plastic packing
"peanuts" strung together on thread. Cut out the pictures from
old greeting cards, punch a small hole in the top, and add a ribbon.
You can
also make ornaments from pine cones and sweet gum seed balls.
Use your imagination and see what ornaments you can make from things you would normally throw away.
You can even learn to make a snowman from
an old lightbulb!
Each year, 25 million extra tons of trash is generated between Thanksgiving and New Years in the U.S. Think how you can reduce, reuse, and recycle.