


If you live in an apartment or shared community, check with management for any questions.Īfter drying, the kindling can be used as great (and fresh-smelling) wood for fire pits and campfires.

To be used as firewood, evergreens have to be completely dried of moisture and wet sap. Not overnight or a few days but for weeks. Your first step is to prune the tree down to smaller bits and let them sit outdoors to dry.

But evergreens and pines are loaded with sap, so they are only good for outdoor fires. Yes, despite stories to the contrary, Christmas trees can make great firewood. Your landlord doesn't compost? Post-Christmas is a great time to get them on board with a compost program for you and your neighbors. If you are an apartment resident, talk to your management for questions on adding your tree to the community compost pile. Remove branches manually and feed them and the trunk into a wood chipper to create fresh compost for decomposition or mulch for landscaping. Like any other yard waste, your old tree can become compost and mulch for use in your backyard or on your building complex's grounds. Are you close to the shore? Many beach communities also take used Christmas trees to be added to artificial dunes to help stabilize beaches and reduce erosion. In Philadelphia, for example, you can take your old tree to the Philly Goat Project and for a $20 donation, your family's Christmas tree will instantly become dinner for the rescue's goats. In some places, you can drop off your tree where you bought it. Many home improvement centers like Home Depot also provide the service. A quick Google search will tell you the best places around you to take your tree for its final journey. Some municipalities run their own recycling centers and will woodchip your tree right there, to create mulch to be used for public projects around town.
#Where to get rid of my christmas tree free#
Many will help get rid of your Christmas tree free of charge. There are over 4,000 Christmas tree recycling centers in the nation, probably one near you. If the tree recycling won't come to you, take your tree to the recycling. Check with your local non-profits to see which provide similar services. In many places, the Boy Scouts offer this service for just a $5 donation. Many charities offer to pick up old Christmas trees from your doorstep or curb with a reservation and a small fee. If you do not have either of those choices, and still don't want to drag your tree into your backseat, there are other options. Then put them out on the regular yard waste pickup schedule. Like grass or old bushes, your tree can be chopped up and placed into your designated yard waste container or bags. But if you live in a location where yard waste removal happens year-round, you can consider your tree just another landscaping leftover. Some places don't have a special Christmas tree removal program. And definitely don't put your tree down the garbage chute. If you live in a complex or building where you place your trash in dumpsters or a designated area, check with management for their policy and procedure. Of course, getting rid of a Christmas tree is a little more complicated for apartment dwellers. In either case, check to see if you need to slice your tree up into smaller segments for collection and then place on your curb. Same goes for areas where a private company like Waste Management provides trash removal. They are often only on certain days and have a final deadline. Check your community's website or social media for availability and schedule pickups. Many if not most municipalities offer curbside used Christmas tree pickup. Below are nine options for your tree eviction.
#Where to get rid of my christmas tree how to#
There are a number of ways to solve how to get rid of your Christmas tree after Christmas. Now what? Where does your tree go from here? And don't delay, a dried up tree is a fire hazard and a pine needle wasteland. Otherwise, you'll have twigs and needles decorating your path right out the door. Place your Christmas tree corpse into a large tree bag if you have one, or wrap it in an old sheet or blanket if you don't. Leave yourself with only the tree's natural nakedness. Remove the ornaments and lights and dethrone from the stand and skirt. Americans purchase around 30 million of these live ones each year to display in their homes.īut what happens when all the presents are opened and the New Year is quickly approaching? What then, O Tannenbaum? What are the options for how to get rid of a Christmas tree after the lights have faded? Nearly 350 million Christmas trees are being grown on over 15,000 Christmas tree farms across the nation. You're so lovely in the living room for weeks in December. From composting to upcycling, you have many options for disposing of your Christmas tree.
