The Department of Parks and Recreation announces that residents may begin to bring their Christmas Trees for recycling starting Tuesday, December 26, 2023. Christmas tree recycling will end on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. All trees to be recycled must be undecorated (ornaments, tinsel, lights, and stands must be removed). Wreaths or garland are not accepted.
The Parks & Trees Division will be recycling resident’s Christmas trees by chipping them. The wood chips can be used by residents as mulch or compost. Tree chips retained by the Town will be used in parks as mulch for trails in woodlands, shrub beds, and soil stabilization. Nationally, Christmas trees are recycled for five main types of large-scale uses:
▪ Chipping: chips to be used for mulch or compost
▪ Beachfront erosion prevention
▪ Lake and river shore stabilization
▪ Fish habitat: trees are sunk in lakes to serve as cover for young fish and sustaining insects
▪ River delta sedimentation management.
Homeowners may also consider retaining their Christmas trees for domestic uses such as:
▪ Songbird and wildlife habitat: Christmas trees placed near bird feeding areas are used by the visiting birds as shelter from the wind and cold, and as protective cover from predators while consuming the bird food. Trees can also be ‘decorated’ by hanging peanut butter filled pinecones, suet and seed mixes, or fruit.
▪ Erosion control: Whole trees can be placed in gullied areas to prevent or slow erosion.
▪ Flower bed protection: Boughs can be cut off the trees to place on flower beds to protect roots and bulbs from winter cold in a decorative way.
These are just a few ways trees can be recycled without the energy expense of mechanized chipping. If you have any other ideas about recycling Christmas trees, The Parks & Trees Division would appreciate your sharing with them parksandtrees@greenwichct.org. Some interesting facts about Christmas Trees:*
▪ There are approximately 30-35 million real Christmas trees sold in North America every year.
▪ American Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states
▪ Real Christmas trees are a renewable, recyclable resource.
▪ For every real Christmas tree harvested, up to three seedlings are planted in its place in the following spring.
▪ There are about 500,000 acres in production for growing Christmas trees.
▪ Each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.
▪ There are about 21,000 Christmas tree growers in North America and over 100,000 people employed full or part-time in the industry.
▪ It can take as long as 7-15 years to grow a six-foot Christmas tree.
▪ The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Washington.
▪ The top selling Christmas tree species are: Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Frasier Fir, Noble Fir, Scotch Pine, Virginia Pine and White Pine.
▪ In a national survey 93 percent who used a real Christmas tree recycled theirs in some type of Community program.
* Source: National Christmas Tree Association
Christmas Tree Collection Sites:
- Byram Park:
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily – the parking by 2nd Gate. Residents only – no commercial haulers.
- Bruce Park:
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily – the parking lot by the Children’s playground, opposite the entrance to Bruce Museum. Residents only – no commercial haulers.
- Greenwich Point:
6 a.m. to 1/2 hour before Sunset, Daily – parking lot across from the Nature Center. Residents only – no commercial haulers.
- Holly Hill Recycling Center:
7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays – place trees in the yard waste area. Residents and commercial haulers.
Wood chips will be available to residents at each collection site.
No trees will be accepted after Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
