Woodchippers can also be used to mulch trees.

Attention Christians, assimilated Atheists, and Jews with Gentile in-laws: the Parks and Sanitation Departments are once again teaming up to help you recycle your Christmas tree. Or any other kind of tree you’ve watched die slowly in your sitting room for the past month.

Curbside pickup started this past Tuesday, and runs until Saturday, January 14. It’s super-easy. Just remove all of the ornaments, tinsel, lights, and other attachments, and leave it on the curb. Do not place it in a plastic bag, or any other kind of bag. Done. Easy as cake. New York’s Strongest will turn the trees over to Parks, who will use the composted trees as fertilizer in the spring.

If you’re ambitious, you can take your tree to a MulchFest location tomorrow, January 7, or Sunday, January 8 (10am to 2pm both days). Trees will be chipped on the spot, and you can take a bag of mulch home with you. (You don’t have to bring a tree to get a free bag of mulch.) As with the curbside guidelines, please remove ornaments, tinsel, lights, plastic bags, and Coen brothers characters before taking your tree to a wood-chipping location.

In southern Brooklyn, MulchFest will be at Owl’s Head Park and Marine Park.

 

Not like this. Ur doin’ it wrong.

UPDATE: Apparently, not by following the Sanitation Department’s curbside drop-off instructions, either.

WNYC – A spokesperson for the city sanitation department has told WNYC that the annual Christmas tree recycling program has been canceled this year because the department has been overwhelmed with cleaning up after the December 26th blizzard and catching up on backlogged garbage and recycling collection.

Although the sanitation department’s website still incorrectly advertises special Christmas tree collections for mulching, sanitation officials now say New Yorkers who want to get their tree chopped up and recycled need to do that on their own.

Original article: On the other hand, you can take your tree down to the curbside anytime between now and next Saturday, January 15, the Department of Sanitation will not only take it, they’ll recycle it for you! Trees placed curbside by the 15th will get mulched and chipped and other environmental things, and they will be sent off to parks and playing fields, with actual permission and everything.

Please remember to take all decorations off, including tinsel. [Update: Aw, who cares anymore.] And please, don’t wrap it in a plastic bag. Plastic bags are for garbage. Trees are recycling [garbage]!

You can also take your tree to Mulchfest locations at Marine Park or Owl’s Head Park this Saturday, January 8 or Sunday, January 9 (10am to 2pm). You can pick up mulch (for free!) as well if you bring your own bags. Additional locations are provided by Flatbush Gardener.

(Note: The Sanitation Department’s tree recycling program is going on now, despite the suspension of recycling pickup during their continued snow removal efforts.) (Bzzzzz! Totally wrong!)

This article was originally published on January 5, 2011, and updated on January 12.

Jan 082010
 

Reminder: the Sanitation Department is collecting Christmas trees for their recycling program from curbside until Friday, January 15. Be sure to remove all ornaments and tinsel, and don’t wrap in plastic.

tree recycling

(photo credit: one of my awesome Facebook Friends™)

And for God’s sake. Don’t do this. Please.

You can also bring your tree to a Mulchfest site in person this weekend – from 10am to 2pm, this Saturday and Sunday – and go home with free mulch! (Bring you own mulch bags.) In southern Brooklyn, you can go to to either Owl’s Head Park in Bay Ridge, or to Marine Park.

(Map courtsey Flatbush Gardener)
View Brooklyn MulchFest 2010 in a larger map

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