Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

DNREC outlines ways residents can recycle Christmas trees

DNREC

With Christmas over, how do you dispose of your Christmas tree? Luckily, the state gives you a few options.

DNREC is reminding residents about the importance of recycling them, mainly saving landfill space.

DNREC’s Adam Schlacter says there are multiple benefits of mulching the tree.

"Christmas trees are a great source of woody material so if they get mulched up that mulch can be used for a variety of things around your yard, the base of the tree, in your garden, and most really helps to retain water as that mulch breaks down and getting nutrients to our soils which are always a good thing and again it saves landfill space."

Schlachter says how you can best dispose of your tree.

"They can either chip it themselves if they have a chipper at home and then have the mulch to spread around in their yard, a lot of the haulers in the state offer curbside collections of trees,” said Schlacter. “Just put it on the curb similar to how you would with your recycling or trash cart, and finally if neither of those options work, there are a number of drop-off locations around the state that residents can bring their trees to, some are free, some charge a fee but they will get properly managed."

You’re reminded to strip your Christmas tree of all decorations and lights before it’s collected or recycled.

Kent County will collect trees only from January 4th to the 8th, and the 11th to the 15th on regular trash days. At the Polly Drummond Hill yard waste site in Newark, January 17th is the last day to drop trees off.

Overall, trees are accepted until January 28th.

New Castle and Sussex County trash customers should check with their waste haulers about tree pickup.

 

Joe brings over 20 years of experience in news and radio to Delaware Public Media and the All Things Considered host position. He joined DPM in November 2019 as a reporter and fill-in ATC host after six years as a reporter and anchor at commercial radio stations in New Castle and Sussex Counties.