Ready to Recycle The Christmas Tree?

Ready to take down the tree tomorrow and haul it away?

The Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation annual Christmas tree recycling program begins Friday, Dec. 26 and will continue until Saturday, Jan. 31.

All trees to be recycled must be undecorated — ornaments, tinsel, lights and stands must be removed. The Parks & Trees Division will be recycling resident’s Christmas trees by chipping them. The wood chips can be used by residents as mulch or compost. Tree chips retained by the Town will be used in parks as mulch for trails in woodlands, shrub beds, and soil stabilization.

Nationally, Christmas trees are recycled for five main types of large-scale uses.

Homeowners also may want to consider retaining their Christmas trees for domestic uses such as songbird and wildlife habitat. Christmas trees placed near bird feeding areas are used by the visiting birds as shelter from the wind and cold, and as protective cover from predators while consuming the bird food.

Trees can also be ‘decorated’ by hanging peanut butter filled pine cones, suet and seed mixes, or fruit. For erosion control, whole trees can be placed in gullied areas to prevent or slow erosion. For flower bed protection, boughs can be cut off the trees to place on flower beds to protect roots and bulbs from winter cold in a decorative way. These are just a few ways trees can be recycled without the energy expense of mechanized chipping. If you have other ideas about recycling Christmas trees, the Parks & Trees Division would appreciate your sharing them.

Christmas Tree Collection Sites

• Byram Park: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. - the parking lot by the Concession.
• Bruce Park: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. - the parking lot by the Children’s playground, opposite the entrance to Bruce Museum.
• Greenwich Point: 6 a.m. until sunset - first parking lot across from the Nature Center.
• Holly Hill Recycling Center: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays – place trees in the yard waste area.

Wood chips will be available to residents at each collection site.

No trees will be accepted after Saturday, Jan. 31.

Patch file photo.