Nothing says “Christmas is over” like discarded spruce, fir and pine trees piled high on New York City sidewalks, waiting for trucks to cart them away.
The Department of Sanitation used to give people a set time period to say goodbye to their beloved Christmas trees. But a citywide expansion of curbside composting collection means New Yorkers who want to hold onto the festive season can now wait as long as they want, according to sanitation officials.
“Are you a family that takes the tree down on Christmas? Do you hold out for all 12 days? Rather wait until May? It’s all OK,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday.
Trees still have to be stripped of all ornaments, tinsel and plastic wrap, and can be put out on the curb on the same day as regular recycling and compost are collected. The trees will then be turned into renewable energy with the rest of the city’s food and plant scraps, sanitation officials said.
Artificial trees can go out with regular garbage for collection, but their metal stands and trunks should go out with metal recycling.
Residents who want to have a more hands-on role in the composting process can haul their trees to certain parks in every borough for “Mulchfest,” a nearly two-week festival of sorts where people can watch their trees get chipped into mulch for the city’s parks and playgrounds.
This year’s Mulchfest runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 12, and participating parks can be found here. The last two days of Mulchest mark “Chipping Weekend,” when residents can drop off their trees and bring home a bag of mulch to use in their backyards or tree beds on their street. Over 46,000 trees were recycled citywide last year, according to the parks department.
More information on Christmas tree collection and recycling can be found on the sanitation department’s website or by calling 311.
