How To Dispose Of Your Christmas Tree In Monmouth County

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — As the holiday season comes to a close, there are several ways to dispose of your Christmas tree:

In Middletown, trees will be picked up in the South Zone Jan. 15 and in the North Zone Jan. 22. Residents can also take their Christmas trees to the Kanes Lane Recycling Center, open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

In Howell, Christmas tree pickup in the township will begin on Monday, Jan. 11. Trees should be placed by the curb by Jan. 10. Trees should not have any lights or decorations attached or be placed in plastic bags.

Residents can place trees outside and decorate them with edible ornaments or popcorn strings to provide a winter food source for wild birds and squirrels. Locals can also use trees to enrich soil by cutting up and composting recycled Christmas trees.

"Pine needles are a good mulching material for certain plants such as strawberries, helping to keep the fruit dry and off the ground along with deterring fungus, mold and slugs," reads the Howell Township alert. "Pine needles used in between raised beds will suppress weeds and create natural walkways. Pine needles and boughs can also be used to cover your garden beds in the winter."

Christmas trees can be dropped off at Ocean County Park in Lakewood or Patriots County Park in Jackson from Dec. 26 through Jan. 31. Several other Ocean County parks are accepting tree donations: click here for the full list.

Some Home Depot locations and beach communities also accept Christmas trees for recycling. Farm rescues may also accept tree donations that are undecorated, untreated and green.

Fire officials recommend disposing of live trees after Christmas or when trees become dry. The National Fire Protection Association reports that dried-out trees present a fire hazard and can burn very quickly compared to watered trees. Live trees should also not be left in homes, garages or placed against a home.

The U.S. Fire Administration recommends keeping live trees at least three feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles or heat vents, as more than 1 in every 5 Christmas tree fires were caused by a heat source too close to the tree.