Saying Goodbye to Your Christmas Tree

So the holiday has come and gone and it's time to put away the ornaments and pack up the lights. But what to do with the Christmas tree?

Here are some tips on how to dispose of your tree:

Curbside pick-up for recycling. 

The duration that families keep Christmas trees in their homes varies.

"It's very hard to gage when people are going to put their trees out," Paul Welsh, Public Works Department foreman, said.

The Avon Public Works Department will pick up Christmas trees left on curbsides in Avon neighborhoods throughout January. There is no set schedule for pick-up and residents are also welcome to dispose of their trees on their own.

Remove all ornaments, tinsel, lights and tree stands beforehand. Call Avon Public Works for more information at 860-673-6151. 

Tree recycling and mulching programs. 

This is becoming more and more popular. A Christmas tree is biodegradable, so if you have a wood chipper, or know someone who does, you can chip and shred the trees and then you can use the mulch for your garden.

Welsh said Public Works plans to bring the trees to the Avon Landfill and grind them. Typically, recycled trees are chipped up for use as mulch in parks and other city properties.

Tami Hayes of the Warner Nursery and Garden Center in Simsbury explained that larger branches may be cut into smaller bundles for winter protective mulch around perennial gardens and small shrubs. Don't forget to remove the branches in the spring, when the plants begin to grow again.

Bird feeders.  If the ground is not too frozen, embed your Christmas tree in the backyard and use it as a bird feeder. Strung popcorn, bread and suet will attract the winter birds, who can then sit in the branches for shelter. Within a year, the branches will become brittle and then you can break the tree apart by hand or chip it in a chipper. Or, if you live near a wooded area, you can bring your tree into the woods. It will eventually decompose, but in the meantime serve as a shelter for birds.

Plant. If you have a live tree (balled and burlapped), you could plant it in your yard after Christmas. A good idea for next year would be to pre-dig the hole in the late fall while the soil is still soft, and then plant the tree in the hole immediately after Christmas.

Artificial trees cannot be recycled. They need to be put out with the regular garbage for general landfill disposal.

Important note: Never burn your tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Because trees are relatively fresh, they contain oils and sap that may be highly flammable. A serious chimney fire may result.

The last task is to sweep up the many residual needles in your home. Don't try to vacuum them. Needles can clog vacuum cleaners. But soon—voila! Your house will be back in order.

You may be feeling blue after taking down your tree at the end of another Christmas holiday season. You can, however, continue the spirit of giving—this time with the knowledge that your tree has been recycled back into the earth.

Local Editor  contributed to this report.

Editor's Note: Everyone makes mistakes... even us! If there's something in this article that you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, give Local Editor Jessie Sawyer a ring at 860-356-6339 or shoot her an e-mail at Jessie.Sawyer@patch.com.