How to Dispose of Christmas Trees

If you are handling your post-holiday cleanup, you may wonder the best way to get rid of your Christmas tree. The rules are different for natural and artificial Christmas trees. Both can create waste disposal issues, so you might want to look for ways to recycle your Christmas tree. However, recycling options vary depending on the type of tree that you have.

Prepare Your Tree

By the end of the holidays, you might feel like just tossing the tree, ornaments and all, int o the trash can. However, you do need to take some steps to prepare your tree for disposal. Remove the ornaments and any removable lights. Whichever type of tree you are getting rid of, removing any extra items can make recycling easier.

Disposal

You can just put a natural Christmas tree into the disposal truck or dumpster. If you have an artificial tree, you can place it in any boxes or bags you have to store it. If you do not have a container, you can always just put it in the disposal unit without an extra container.

Recycling

If you are getting rid of an artificial tree that is still in usable condition, consider recycling it. You can take it to donation facilities for resale or see if any local organizations want it. If they are full, consider putting it on a neighborhood for sale or free site. You may find someone eager to pick up extra Christmas trees.

Composting

If you have a natural tree, there are better options than sending it to a landfill. Many places set up tree composting areas, where they turn Christmas trees into mulch. Consider taking your tree to one of these events. Just remember to put down plastic or a blanket in your vehicle, so it does not get full of needles!

Erosion Barriers

The first thing you should consider is recycling your tree. In many locations, there is an organization that collects trees. They use natural trees as erosion barriers on the beach. If you are getting rid of a natural tree, that is one of the best ways to reuse the tree.