The ‘green’ way to finish your fir or sack your spruce

Live Christmas trees have received holiday blessings from environmentalists for many reasons. Besides the fact that most artificial trees are made in part of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), tree farms absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and provide habitat for wildlife. Not to mention that live trees smell better than PVC.

But the holidays have passed, you’ve gone back to work, and as a fresh coat of needles appear each evening on your floor the urge to toss the tree in the trash may become overwhelming. Its usefulness has not diminished, however.

Rather than letting the tree rot away in a landfill, you can chip it into mulch, strip the branches to cover perennials, or replant it as a winter shelter for birds and wildlife. If all that sounds like work, there are many recyclers throughout the state that accept trees at little or no cost, provided you remove all lights, ornaments and tree stands. (I would think that goes without saying, but apparently they need to say it often, and with a large, boldface type in all-caps.)

Recycling facilities will compost trees into fill for plantings, soil amendment and mulch. Recycled trees also are often deposited in lakes and ponds by conservation groups to provide nutrients to the ecosystem and habitat for fish, though this should only be done with trees not treated with pesticides.

Earth911.org has compiled a database of recycling facilities that accept Christmas trees throughout the country, including 35 in Minnesota.