It’s almost the 6th of January and traditionally the time when we move past the holiday season. Christmas is over and now it’s time to start taking down the decorations and deciding how to dispose of your Christmas tree, now that it’s served its purpose.
You’ll be surprised at the many ways that your Christmas tree can go on to be useful even after it’s finished its job as your seasonal decoration. Let’s look at where your tree goes on the next step of its journey.
How to Dispose of Your Christmas Tree Ecologically
If you’ve had a live tree in your home this year then there are a few things you can do to ensure that it’s disposed of safely and ecologically. Now of course one method is to see if your local council or county has a drop off point for old Christmas trees, so they can be disposed of properly. You can also take it to your recycling centre and dispose of it in the green waste area. Alternatively, for a more creative approach, you can use the wood and branches to make decorations for your garden or donate it to your local forest preserve where it can be turned into organic mulch for the soil.
How to Safely Burn Your Old Tree
If you decide to use your old tree as kindling, be very careful when doing it inside, or avoid doing it inside altogether. The reason being that the tree sap can be a significant fire hazard if you burn the wood in a stove or fireplace. Burning the wood on a bonfire is usually fine although, as always, be sure to respect local laws when it comes to open fires outdoors.
How to Dispose of an Artificial Tree Safely
If your artificial tree is coming to the end of its life then make sure that it is disposed of properly. Whatever you do, do NOT burn it as the material is toxic and highly combustible. However, you can also re purpose the old branches as decorations as you would with a live tree. If your tree has become really ropy and can’t serve as an alternative decoration, then be sure to dispose of it properly at your local recycling point.
Can you Compost your Christmas Tree?
This is a very good way to dispose of your tree in an environmentally friendly manner. You can easily cut up the trunk and branches to make a mulch. However, be sure to remove the pine needles first. These contain a plasticky resin which takes a long time to be broken down by nature. You can however keep the needles aside and use them to cover muddy paths in wet weather. The needles are also a good addition to soil which is high in alkaline (they contain a lot of acids).
Whatever you decide to do with your Christmas tree when you’re done with it, make sure that it is disposed of in a responsible and careful way. How do you normally get rid of your tree at the end of the holidays? Tell us in the comments below.
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