The coming of the New Year means it’s time to take down the Christmas tree. If you chose to use a cut down tree, disposing of it ethically means making sure it doesn’t end up in the landfill. Most towns have curbside programs where the trees are taken to a green waste facility where they are chipped into mulch or compost. Many communities are using disposed Christmas trees for great benefit. From electricity to wildlife restoration, christmastree.org features the following community programs:
Saving Lives with Vaccines – Toronto, Ontario Wildlife Habitat – Porter County, Indiana Mulch for Planting – Georgia Dune Restoration – Gulf Shores, Alabama Rebuilding the Louisiana Coastline – Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Home for the Herons – Cook County, Illinois Giving Back to the Community – San Diego, California Improving Fishing Areas – Keene, New Hampshire Building Better Parks – Clarksville, Tennessee Fueling Our Nation’s Industry – Tomahawk, Wisconsin One Man’s Trash is Another Fish’s Habitat – Oroville, California Keeping Communities Beautiful – Reno, Nevada Turning Trees into Electricity – Burlington, Vermont
One of my favorite Christmas tree recycling comes from Inhabitots, “Last year, even the Vatican went green by recycling the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square by using its wood to make toys for children.” What’s your community doing with their left over Christmas trees?