With the presents opened and holidays winding down, you'll probably start thinking about taking down your Christmas tree over the next few weeks.
Rather than toss it with the rest of your holiday garbage, many people tend to recycle their tree. In fact, 93 percent of real Christmas trees are recycled by consumers. That's according to the National Tree Association. Now, you can do it for free.
However, don't leave it out with your other recyclables. The Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) doesn't accept trees in the blue bins. Instead, OCRRA has drop off sites at the Amboy and Jamesville Compost Sites. You can bring your tree there during select hours from January 3rd through January 15th.
"Residents that drop their trees off at the OCRRA Compost Sites are 'closing the loop.' Next spring the trees will be ground into mulch that OCRRA Compost Site users may haul away for landscaping use," said Greg Gelewski, OCRRA recycling operations manager.
There is no charge to use either of the OCRRA Compost Sites during January. Simply stop by during designated hours. Both locations will accept your trees January 3-15: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon
Most municipalities, including the City of Syracuse, also have a pick-up or drop-off program for Christmas trees. Contact your local municipality for specific information on their program. For a list of contacts, click here.
Don't forget to remove all decorations, lights, tinsel and tree stands from trees before disposal.
Click here for more details on recycling your Christmas tree.
