Daily Decisions: O Christmas Tree

Throughout 2013, Adding Light will take a look at practical decisions that everyone can take to contribute to making our communities more ecologically and economically resilient. Everything in this Daily Decisions comes from experience or research applied directly by our family or people we know directly.

This decision has a decidedly regional slant to it, but the concept can extend to anywhere. Each year, many communities purchase real trees for use in decorating homes at Christmastime...and ours is no exception. I know that other, more sustainable options exist, but one of the environmental luxuries we allow ourselves is the smell of real pine tree in the traditional shape. Later in the year, I will review the purchasing of the tree, and have some lessons learned. For today, I want to discuss the "disposal" of the tree...or really, the repurposing of it.

One of the long-term programs in the city of Chicago has allowed residents to bring their tree to one of several local parks at which the City will grind up the tree into mulch. Residents can then come back for the free mulch to use in their landscaping.

This concept can be further scaled to a block or quadrant of a community that might not be in direct proximity to the centralized location by either renting a chipper from an equipment rental company, or contracting for a Saturday morning with a local landscaper. Although it would not be "free" (or in the case of the City doing the work...included in property or sales taxes), it would eliminate the need to transport the tree over long distance, and would provide for a single trip to "dispose" of the tree and receive the mulch. With the neighbors all sharing the cost of about $300 per day, a block of 20 houses can get the work done at about $15 per family.

Some areas are lucky to have pickup services that include lawn waste, and some may pickup the tree as part of that service. If your community does not already have such a service, you should look into advocating for your city or municipality to do so. As an example, San Francisco has one of the premier waste management programs that includes recyclables, yard waste/compostables and landfill material. They reach citywide recycling rates of over 75%, with a three can system where residents pay only for the landfill material pickup.

Whatever method you choose, do not just throw your tree to the curb to be placed in a landfill. It takes just a bit more work on your part, and many times little to no more money, to allow that natural material to work its way back into the earth.