SOURCE:
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/christmas-trees-recycle-mulch-goats-yw3aznom
By Brinley Hineman - January 2, 2023
It may be lights out for most of the season’s Christmas trees, but they can live on in the belly of the beast (goats) or out in the open and underfoot (mulch).
Rather than tossing the tree to the curb for sanitation crews to dispose of, some municipalities and farms accept the evergreens and give them a second life, from bolstering dunes to providing a healthy snack for animals.
Adrienne Esposito, executive director and co-founder of the Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, is urging Long Islanders to consider recycling options.
“A used Christmas tree should not be looked at as a waste product, but rather a raw material for some other good use, such as mulching and restoration,” Esposito said. “There’s really no sense in sending a tree to an incinerator or a landfill.”
Each municipality offers different options, pick-up dates and rules, so check with local governments about tree recycling. All decorations must be removed first.
What to know:
Municipalities have recycling options for real Christmas trees to turn into mulch or bolster dunes, so don't toss them in the garbage just yet.
Some farms will accept trees to feed their livestock.
Make sure the trees are free of decorations before recycling.
