MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH)– The holidays are over and you’re probably thinking about taking down your Christmas tree if you haven’t done it already. Christmas was almost two weeks ago and if you still have it up your tree is probably getting dry by now.
If you put up a real tree you may be wondering about the best way to get rid of it. What you do with it depends on where you live.
Milford residents can leave trees curbside. The Public Works Department will be picking them up along with regular garbage pickups throughout this month. You’ll have to cut your tree into pieces no bigger than 4 feet long.
Mayor Ben Blake wants the city to recycle as many old Christmas trees as possible. He hopes residents will help.
“You can bring them to either Tri Beach this weekend or Walnut Beach,” he said. “We’ll have chippers there so they can see the trees being chipped.”
You can drop your tree off at either location on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Be sure to remove all ornaments and lights first, since the decorations can damage the machinery.
The tree chips will be headed to a recycling facility in Milford.
“They use the chips – and treat it – for mulch around flowerbeds at households and commercial buildings,” said Highway and Parks Foreman Thomas Hunt.
Crews expect to be busy these next few weeks. They typically recycle at least 10,000 trees per year. The trees may no longer hold decorations inside but they will be used to decorate lawns and yards outside.
“We don’t want them to be part of the landfills or a burn because that costs us more money,” said Blake. “This way we actually get a little bit of the recycling because we can reuse it into mulch.”
If you live in Orange you can bring your tree to the town’s dump.
If you’re a Branford resident, Boy Scout troop 428 will pick your tree up from your house on January 9 & 16. It’ll cost you $10 per tree, and the money will support the boy scouts. Call (203) 481-5610 or email John Wilkinson at Troop428treepickup@gmail.com to set up a pickup. Trees must be left at the end of your driveway.
If you live in West Haven you may leave your tree by the curb. Crews will be picking them over the next few days.
Guilford residents can bring Christmas trees to the town’s tree and brush deposit site on Sullivan Drive. There they’ll be ground to mulch.
