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Christmas Tree Recycling is a way to help the environment after the holidays are over.
Is your tree looking more like a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree and less like the beautiful green specimen that your family once adored?
Then it’s time to Reuse, Recycle and Repurpose that Christmas Re-Tree! Continue reading for 6 creative ways to give your old tree new life.

Some may argue that fresh Christmas trees are not a green option, on the contrary.
Most tree farms: raise their trees responsibly, are environmentally friendly, sustainable, provide homes to wildlife and pollinators, help clean the air, and plant 2 or more trees for every one that is cut, you can’t get much greener than that.
When the Christmas season is over?
There are eco-friendly ways your can dispose of your tree. Unlike artificial trees that: can not be recycled, off-gas chemicals, and are made overseas.
Did you make a resolution to be more green this year? I have some fantastic ideas that will help you keep your resolution and get rid of your Charlie Brown fire hazard.
#1- Compost or Mulch With Christmas Tree Recycling
Repurpose: Many Counties offer free pick up for your used Christmas trees so they can turn them into mulch, our county even offers the mulch back to residents for free!
Contact your local waste management authority to see if they offer this service. If not, you may contact a local tree service and see if they will mulch your tree for free.

#2- Help Make An Artificial Reef By Recycling Your Tree
Recycle: Help the fish and aquatic life with an artificial reef and donate your tree. If you live by the coast or by a body of water, the county may offer free pick up or a designated drop off site for your fresh tree. You can also contact your local DNR and ask if they know of a place to take your tree for reef placement.
#3- Use Your Christmas Tree Needles to Make Potpourri
Reuse: Have you ever noticed how good it smells when you vacuum up your pine needles that fall off the tree?
For weeks after the holidays, every time I vacuum it smells like Christmas. Keep the scents of the season all year with natural homemade potpourri.
I sweep all my needles that fall on the floor and place them in a mason jar with a cotton ball or small piece of coal to use for potpourri throughout the year.
Homemade potpourri is free from petrochemicals, full of wonderful scents and makes a great gift.
#4- Pine Needle Tea
Reuse: When life gives you pine needles, make pine needle tea! Pine needle tea has amazing health benefits and tastes delicious, best of all?? It’s FREE
You may not realize that Pine Needle Tea contains 4-5 times the Vitamin C of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and is high in Vitamin A. It is also an expectorant (thins mucus secretions), decongestant, and can be used as an antiseptic wash when cooled. So not only does it taste good, but it’s good for you!
Please Note: not all pine needles are safe, make sure you research the safe varieties to harvest from before making the tea.

# 5- Make a Wildlife Hotel by Recycling Your Christmas Tree
Reuse: After all of your lights and decorations are packed tightly away, take your whole tree and place it outside for your local feathered and furry friends.
The critters will love their new pine tree hotel. Offer them executive suites by making natural treats to place on the branches. This is a fun project to do with the kids during their Christmas vacation.
Add a little treat to your tree for the feathered and furry friends; spread peanut butter over pine cones and roll in wild bird seed
#6- Deck The Halls With Parts of Your Christmas Tree

If some of your branches are still showing signs of life, cut clippings to make: wreaths, swags, centerpieces and more!
There are a ton of great ideas on Pinterest. You can even cut the trunk to make ornaments for next year or turn them into drink coasters.
Do you have any ways to recycle a Christmas Tree that I didn’t mention?

Mary
Saturday 30th of December 2017
Please make sure you know where your tree came from and how it was grown. If they are using chemical fertilizers or pesticides, they the last thing you want in your tea, yard, pond, etc.
Steph
Saturday 28th of December 2019
My girlfriend is always looking for them to give to her goats...
Amber Bradshaw
Monday 1st of January 2018
Thanks for the reminder. Absolutely, make sure your tree is free from chemicals and spraying if you are using it for consumption.
Germaine Jenkins
Friday 29th of December 2017
Waste is a dirty word at Fresh Future Farm. So when a donor offered us a chance to be part of their treecycling process, went out on a limb. What can you do with a 40 leftover Christmas tree? Plenty.
First we stripped branches off several of the premium Fraser Fir. AJ crafted the trunks into a structure on which to grow peas. Cooler than any regular trellis, we have a pea teepee.
Why buying plastic or fabric to protect the crops from frost? Gently laying the branches on top of mustard and kale shields the greens from frost allowing air to circulate and rain to do its thing. At the end of the season, the branches go into compost. No waste.
We needed to separate the chicken coop from the farm area. With space at a premium and working on a budget, we had to be creative. Whole Christmas trees piled end to end were smothered with wood chips, soil and compost. Once covered with straw we had a berm that was both barrier and planting ground.
This year, with our gift of trees we hope to make scare crows. It’s going to be an exciting year at Fresh Future Farm. Come by and see. Or visit us on Facebook for more resourceful gardening tips.
Valerie
Tuesday 26th of December 2017
You can also use it to start a Hugelbed :-)
Amber Bradshaw
Tuesday 26th of December 2017
Great tip! Thanks for sharing.
Angela
Tuesday 12th of December 2017
Good Information!