Everyday Tips for Living Green 🌱
Sarah Dimling
There are approximately 350 million Christmas trees growing on more than 15,000 Christmas tree farms across the United States. Roughly 30 million Christmas trees are sold each year domestically. Most Christmas trees are grown on farms and for every real tree harvested a new one is generally planted. Many of the benefits derived from community trees and forests are provided by Christmas tree farms, such as removing carbon, cleansing the air and water, and stabilizing soil. Rather than having your real tree wind up in a landfill post-holiday season, here are several ways they can be recycled that may change the way you think about disposing your tree:
🌲 Mulch - Many cities offer programs to turn your tree into mulch or wood chips. Call your city service department or trash hauler for further information on such programs.
🌲 Wildlife - Trees don’t have to be alive for critters to enjoy. Place your tree in the back yard or wooded areas and use it as a bird feeder and sanctuary. Fresh orange slices or strung popcorn will attract birds and they can nestle in the branches for shelter.
🌲 Garden Insulator - Cut boughs placed in your garden beds can help protect plants from winter freezes. Pine needles allow soil to breathe without becoming too compacted.
🌲 Firewood - Best for outdoor fires use since most evergreens are heavy sap trees. Logs should be throughly dried out to avoid messy and unruly fires,
🌲 Animal Feed - Some local farms will accept Christmas trees as animal feed.