COLUMBUS, OH - Live cut Christmas trees can be recycled in a variety of environmentally friendly ways once the holiday season comes to a close, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Recycling Christmas trees into landscape mulch, compost or wildlife habitat prolongs their usefulness beyond the tinsel and trim, said Michael Canfield, chief of ODNR's Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention. Many Ohio communities offer convenient drop-off locations and curbside pick up to make the recycling easy."
Collected trees are often chipped and shredded into landscape mulch for local park districts and municipal projects. Individuals interested in recycling their Christmas trees should contact their local recycling and litter prevention office for more details. Some private Christmas tree vendors are also offering drop-off collection areas for discarded trees.
If a community does not provide Christmas tree recycling collection or service, there are other ways to recycle trees right at home. Trees can be chipped and composted in a backyard composting system. Using composted material in a garden improves soil, reduces weeds and helps retain soil moisture.
Christmas trees can also be recycled in a variety of ways to benefit backyard wildlife, said Vicki Mountz of ODNR's Division of Wildlife. Landowners can use their Christmas trees to build brush piles for wildlife habitat, providing cover for Ohio's native mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles.
Brush piles make ideal homes and nest sites for some wildlife species. They are very effective near field borders, as well as undeveloped areas in suburban yards, Mountz added. She advised using multiple trees to build a successful habitat pile. People interested in recycling trees for wildlife habitat should consider asking friends or neighbors to add to the pile.
Christmas trees can also be placed in farm ponds to attract fish and increase habitat. A weight, such as a cinder block, must be placed on the tree to sink it and keep it from floating to the surface.
Mountz also suggested that people wanting to dispose of their trees in an environmentally friendly manner should contact local conservation and wildlife clubs that might be sponsoring tree collection activities.
ODNR offers a few important points to consider when recycling a Christmas tree:
- Remove all trimmings such as tinsel, ornaments and garland.
- Seek permission before discarding trees on private land or in private ponds.
- Check with officials before dropping trees off at the nearest park or lake. Discarding trees without permission could draw a littering charge.
Recycling Christmas trees is an excellent way to help reduce the state's solid waste production. For more information, visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com