News Release 513

News Release No. 513

EXTEND THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT, “TREECYCLE” YOUR HOLIDAY TREE

Volume 33-513	Contact: Renee Bungart
(For immediate release)	573-751-5401

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, DEC. 27, 2005 -- As the holidays begin to wind down, it’s time to consider what to do with your Christmas tree. If it is a natural tree, it can only stand around so long before the needles start falling and it becomes a fire hazard. If it is a metallic or plastic tree that appears worn out by one too many Christmas parties, it might be time to “treecycle.”

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ How to Dispose of Christmas Trees brochure has several tips on how to reuse a natural Christmas tree or find a beneficial use for an artificial tree after the holiday ends.

With a little imagination, retired trees of each type can be used to extend the Christmas spirit. Since January 1992, it has been illegal to dispose of natural Christmas trees in landfills. Lights, glass ornaments, tinsel and other decorations should be completely removed before starting a “treecycle” project.

To help out your neighborhood birds and wildlife, set the old tree up in the backyard as a banquet table. Hanging edible decorations such as suet, peanut butter balls, ears of corn or clusters of birdseed may attract a colorful and entertaining gathering of birds and squirrels to your backyard. The tree will still be waste material in the spring, but you can squeeze a little use from it before it has to go to the chipper.

Weighed down by stone, a collection of trees at the bottom of a pond can be a fish habitat by providing cover for small fish and places for their food species to cling until feeding time.

If you have the room, you may discard natural trees to create brush piles. Stacked trees can provide shelter against winter winds and ice for small animals and birds.

Over time, brush piles break down and decay into compost that can enrich the soil. You can speed up the composting process by running the tree through a chipper and using the mulch around plants to conserve soil moisture and reduce water use in the summer.

Many communities offer a Christmas tree collection and chipping service after Christmas. Check with your local government or your solid waste management district for the location and schedules of these services. For district contact names and numbers visit the department’s Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/swmd/swmdinfo.htm, or call the department’s Solid Waste Management Program at 573-751-5401.

Although artificial trees last much longer, disposal is more difficult. Ultimately a worn out artificial tree must go to a landfill. Or you may want to consider using it as an outdoor Christmas lighting decoration next year.

For copies of the How to Dispose of Christmas Trees brochure, contact the department’s Solid Waste Management Program by calling 800-361-4827 or 573-751-5401 or visit the department’s Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pubs.htm.

For more information on recycling or other solid waste management issues, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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