Ideas for Giving Christmas Trees a Second Life
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Collapse ▲Live Christmas trees are such a presence in our lives during the holiday season. They bring warmth, light, fragrance and comfort during the darkest days of the year. They hold ornaments and decorations that can hold so much meaning for our families and friends. They are all beautiful; whether you go with a traditional Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, or maybe something a little more central like a Juniperus virginiana, Eastern Red Cedar. But, your tree’s life has come to an end as soon as it is harvested to be your tree, so don’t just throw it away. Let’s explore some creative, green, sustainable ways you can upcycle or recycle your tree!
Turn It Into Mulch:
Christmas trees, whatever species they are, are typically full of good-smelling sap that makes them resistant to rot and can smell good. They can be upcycled to potpourri or used in the garden as mulch. Christmas tree mulch may also be used for animal bedding.
Home Composting:
Your tree can also be composted at home. You can cut the branches into smaller sections. The softer branch tips can be added to your home compost pile, as long as they are in small sections. The larger branches can be used in hugelculture or to line path edges. We do not recommend adding large or thick branches directly to your home compost pile. Instead these can be piled nearby and left to degrade in place.
Wildlife Habitat:
If you have the space, you can simply place your tree in your backyard and let it slowly degrade as habitat. Birds and other wildlife will use it for shelter.
If you want to continue the holiday decoration season, you can use this as an opportunity to decorate it again; just with bird and wildlife feeders! Think pinecone suet feeder bunting! Ornaments could include bags of sunflower seeds or mixed seeds and pine cones filled with peanut butter, raisins and bread crumbs. Wild birds, especially cardinals, Carolina chickadees, purple finches and goldfinches, prefer sunflower seeds. White millet, a small, round yellowish-white seed, is the second most popular food for wild birds. Other foods that appeal to certain birds include: bread crumbs, crackers, cheese, chopped hard-boiled eggs, mealworms, bananas, raisins and grapes. Peanut butter is the most universally favorite food item; but sunflower butter is a great non-peanut alternative.
A couple of Christmas trees, properly weighted down in a pond, make an excellent refuge and feeding areas for fish. Make sure to check with pond owners or lake authorities before you sink your tree into their ponds or lakes to provide a feeding and structure area for fish. They can impact boating in shallow areas. But, just think, you’ll be creating your own mini Christmas tree reef!
Create Crafts:
Get creative and use the branches and trunk to make crafts such as bird feeders, small furniture, or decorations.
If you would like to use the tree again next year, cut all the limbs off and cut for firewood. This year’s tree can be next year’s “Yule log.”
Christmas trees can also be recycled and used for woodworking and other crafts. Woodworking hobbyists can make a multitude of items including buttons and candlesticks from the trunk of a recycled tree.
Important Note: Before disposing of your tree, always remove all decorations, lights, and any other ornaments.
Local Recycling Drop-Off
It is okay to want to just be done with your tree. Whether you live in the City of Sanford or out in the county (or the Town of Broadway), there is an option for you! Please remember to remove all decorations, tinsel, lights, etc. These can cause issues for chippers and can result in your tree being disposed of in a landfill, which we are trying to avoid!
City of Sanford residents- Christmas trees can be added to your yard waste piles! No need to drive them anywhere.
County of Lee and Town of Broad- Christmas trees can be taken to your local convenience center free of charge. Please make sure to present your decal!
By choosing one of these eco-friendly methods, you can ensure that your Christmas tree is disposed of responsibly and contributes back to your local environment.