And so, the holidays have come to an end. Presents have been given, Christmas cheer spread, and decorations stowed away. Now, why is there a tree in the house?
The time has come to say goodbye to our Xmas friend. And if you’re looking for ways to dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner, keep reading!
Thank You Very Mulch
The most common approach to recycling your Xmas tree in an eco-friendly way is mulching it. Mulch is a layer of insulation laid on top of flower beds, garden patches, around trees and bushes that keeps the soil moist and fertile. So, let the circle of life continue by helping your tree contribute to the growth of other plants. There are several ways of going about mulching, from simple to rather involved.
- Urban dwellers have it the easiest. This time of the year especially, many municipalities, garden centers, and even hardware stores will gladly accept your Xmas tree and turn it into mulch or compost. Some might even come to pick it up. It all depends on where you live, so start with some research into what’s available in your area.
- You don’t need any sophisticated machinery to turn at least some of the tree into mulch yourself—pruning shears will do. Cut the fine branches into small, about half a finger long, pieces and gather all fallen needles from the floor. You’ve got mulch! Granted, one tree won’t give you a lot, but if you have a backyard—consider mulching your garden path. Even spreading branches sparsely will increase traction as you walk. A wonderful smell is a guaranteed bonus!
- This one isn’t about mulch, technically, but it serves a similar purpose. If you have a garden, cut entire branches off your Xmas tree and use them to cover the patches. This will insulate your perennials and help them survive the rest of the winter, especially if it’s harsh in your area.
There Has To Be Another Way
There are some other opportunities to make your Xmas friend useful without harming the environment. Give it back to nature by setting up the tree in your backyard. This’ll liven up the view and give shelter to birds. Or go a step further and make your Xmas tree into a bird feeder! Hang any feeders you like on the branches or even use the branches themselves to hold treats for our avian friends.
If you’re good with an ax or at woodworking in general, there is a whole other world of what could be done with the tree trunk. Shave the branches off, cut it into equal parts, and use the logs to frame a flower bed, for example. Large branches and the treetop could be used as a natural support for bean stalks or grape vines in your garden. Granted, most conifers are knotty and sappy, so they won’t do as a material for fine woodwork, but when it comes to turning the thick part of the trunk into several rustic coasters—why not?
Finally, remember that trees are biodegradable. Chuck yours back into the forest if you happen to live near one. It’ll serve as shelter for small animals and possibly as feed and habitat for mushrooms and mosses.
Don’t Get on Santa’s Naughty List Early
Regardless of what you do with your tree after the holidays, there are several don’ts if you want to keep things eco-friendly.
- Don’t leave tinsel, toys, or any other non-organic matter on your tree before giving it away for mulching or composting. This stuff is barely biodegradable and won’t do any favors to whatever environment it ends up in.
- Throughout their lifetimes, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. So, don’t burn your Xmas tree if you’d rather that gas stayed trapped.
- Don’t let your tree end up in a landfill. Buried underground or under a pile of trash where there’s little access to oxygen, the tree will be degraded by bacteria that release methane—a far more damaging gas than CO2 when it comes to the greenhouse effect.
As you can see, it isn’t very difficult to dispose of your Xmas tree and stay on good terms with the environment at the same time. Having a tree in your home once a year isn’t going to cause an environmental collapse, so there’s definitely no need to stress about it, but now you have options if you want to go the extra mile.