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The holidays are over鈥攆inally. Back to life. Back to reality. If you or your household forked over part of the $400 million spent on Christmas trees (at least that鈥檚 how much Americans spent in 2007, the latest data available from the USDA Economic Research Service), now鈥檚 the time to dispose of the green beauty.
Don鈥檛 kick it to the curb. Instead, mulch it. If you live in the New York City area, is slated for this coming Saturday and Sunday, January 9 and 10, 2010, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Bring your tree to one of more than 75 locations across the five boroughs.
Some locales (those marked with an asterisk on the New York City Department of ) allow you to take home the mulch your tree generates. The Parks Department doesn鈥檛 provide bags, so bring your own. Also鈥攁nd this may seem obvious, but it鈥檚 worth mentioning鈥攔emember to remove any decorations from the tree before dropping it off.
Didn鈥檛 have a tree this year but still want to participate in MulchFest 2010? The Parks Department has partnered with (an org that has planted 40,000 street trees in the five boroughs since 2007) to stock every location with Education Volunteers who will explain mulching鈥檚 environmental good, help bag, and discuss MillionTrees鈥 stewardship program. Volunteers must attend one of two training sessions, either today, Tuesday, January 5 or Wednesday, January 6, so make sure to sign up now if you鈥檙e interested.
If you don鈥檛 live in or around NYC, look for similar programs in your area. Baltimore鈥檚 Public Works Department, for example, will every Saturday in January at the Citizen Drop-Off Center. In certain counties in Minnesota, residents can at specific locations. To find something in your area, search terms such as 鈥淐hristmas tree鈥 鈥渕ulch鈥 and your location.
Last year, New Yorkers successfully mulched more than 17,000 trees, a 30-percent increase from 2008, and almost 10,000 more than 2004, the program鈥檚 first year. Help make this year the best yet and turn those dead trees into mulch-y goodness.