Millions of Americans looking to get rid of their Christmas trees can now recycle them and benefit the environment as programs kick off this week across the US.
States like Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri are asking the public to donate their trees to be turned into mulch and fish habitats, which the Missouri Department of Conservation says are made by tying trees to cinder blocks and submerging them to depths of around four to seven feet. .
“Just like we as humans need a home, fish also need shelter so they can rest, feed and hunt,” John Schulte, a biologist with the Missouri Department of Fisheries Conservation and Management, said in a statement.
“With this cover, new generations of fish are more or less likely to be eaten, which can potentially help sustain the fishery,” he added, providing “quality fishing opportunities for our anglers now and in the future.”
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City workers grind up Christmas trees from the past holiday season in a wood chipper at a community park in Warminster, Pennsylvania on February 6, 2019.
(Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In New York City, where more than 50,000 trees were reportedly recycled last year, an event called Mulchfest is now taking place at dozens of locations across the five boroughs.
“Put on your boots and take your tree to a Mulchfest location; we’ll chop up your tree into wood chips that we’ll use to nourish the trees and make New York City even greener,” says the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. New York City.
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Christmas trees are seen at a recycling collection point in New York City in 2019.
(Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
About 25 to 30 million real Christmas trees are sold annually in the US, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
“The most important endpoint for unused Christmas trees … is mulching,” Richard Bates, a professor of horticulture at Pennsylvania State University, told USA Today.
Shown here are Christmas trees for sale.
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“There are literally thousands of established programs usually operated by municipalities or community groups that will collect it and then shred and compost it, and sometimes even resell that end-use product,” he added.
