Don’t Just Throw Away Your Christmas Tree!
When Christmas is over many families take down their Christmas tree and haul it to the curb to be thrown away. Unfortunately, that tree will end up in a landfill where it offers very little to the environment and ends up just clogging up your local dump. Fortunately, there are many ways to recycle your tree!
Christmas Trees Can Be Recycled
Rather than throwing out your tree, be sure to recycle it so that it has a valuable second life. Christmas trees serve many different purposes, and you can often choose where to donate your tree.
The Many Uses of Christmas Trees
Below are just a few of the options that Christmas trees have been used for.
- Erosion Control – Old Christmas trees have been used to protect against erosion. In New Jersey and New York, after Hurricane Sandy, Christmas trees were used to protect sand dunes from erosion after the storm reduced elevation by 3-5 feet.
- Aquaculture – Old Christmas trees can make the perfect environment for fish. Certain fish love to lay their eggs in the branches or seek shelter in the sunken trees. Some cities will drop the trees to the bottom of lakes for the local fish.
- Natural Habitats – Sometimes old trees will be used to create artificial habitats for birds. They are stood up outside so that birds can build their nests in the branches.
- Mulch and Chips – Old trees can be mulched and used in various landscaping projects. This is probably one of the most common and popular ways to recycle Christmas trees. It gives your tree the chance at a second life as landscaping material where it will eventually be reabsorbed by the earth and none of its valuable organic material is lost.
Give Your Tree a Second Life!
At Gaston Mulch and Soil, we partner with Gaston’s Tree Debris Recycling, where all our mulch and chips are processed. At Gaston’s, they can turn a tree into mulch, chips, and other organic products that are then used for landscaping and projects like playgrounds, driveways, and park paths.
If you’re interested in recycling your Christmas tree, feel free to call GTDR about dropping off your tree at one of their locations around Florida. If you’re interested in organic, recycled landscaping materials, we have all your mulch and chips needs!