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Ready to recycle your Christmas tree? Here’s how
By Mary Ann Hellinghausen
Each year, more than 32 million Christmas trees are sold in the United States. In a national survey, 93 percent of consumers who used a real Christmas tree said they recycled them in some type of community program.
There are several opportunities around the Bay Area to recycle your real tree.
The city of Houston is providing a drop-off site at Ellington Field, State Highway 3 and Brantley Road, through Jan. 12. It is closed Jan. 1.
Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
No flocked trees will be accepted and all tinsel, plastic bags, tree stands and water bowls must be removed. Trees also will be collected during regular monthly curbside pickup service.
In partnership with Living Earth Technology Company, the trees are ground to mulch and sold as Living Earth Houston Mulch at Lowe’s Home Improvement Center, other outlets and directly from Living Earth. The city of Houston receives a portion of the profits to promote recycling programs within the city, said Marina Joseph, spokeswoman for the city’s solid waste management department.
In League City, trees can be dropped off at the city’s public works facility at 1535 Dickinson Avenue between Jan. 3 and Jan. 18. The building is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday. Recyclers are asked to check in at the Street and Stormwater Department office before leaving trees.
The Galveston Partners in Composting, which is a partnership of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the city of Galveston and Moody Gardens, would like Galveston-area residents to do their part in helping the environment by turning Christmas trees into valuable mulch.
The annual Christmas tree recycling drive runs through Jan. 12. All live evergreen trees, including flocked trees, will be accepted. All tinsel, lights, decorations and plastic or metal stands should be removed. Wooden stands are permitted.
The 2007 effort succeeded in diverting more than 500 Christmas trees from the local landfill.
“We would like to double or even triple the number we received last year,” said Ken Steblein, UTMB recycling coordinator. “The mulch we make from the recycled trees will be used in the Galveston’s landscape during spring planting, but we could use a lot more.”
The UTMB drop-off site is the designated fenced area at the base of the water tower at Port Holiday and Harborside Drive. For more information, call 409-771-3305. The City of Galveston drop-off site is at the city recycling center, 702 61st Street. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They are closed Jan. 1. For more information, call 409-789-6410.
Recycled trees no longer are used to bolster sand dunes on Galveston beaches, said Keith Ware, environmental services supervisor for the city of Galveston. Trees can become dislodged and create floating hazards during severe storms, he said.
Instead, geothermal tubes - a fabric-type sock filled with compost - are now used to shore up dunes.
“A lot of them were still in place (after Hurricane Ike), so they do work,’’ he said.
There are several opportunities around the Bay Area to recycle your real tree.
The city of Houston is providing a drop-off site at Ellington Field, State Highway 3 and Brantley Road, through Jan. 12. It is closed Jan. 1.
Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
No flocked trees will be accepted and all tinsel, plastic bags, tree stands and water bowls must be removed. Trees also will be collected during regular monthly curbside pickup service.
In partnership with Living Earth Technology Company, the trees are ground to mulch and sold as Living Earth Houston Mulch at Lowe’s Home Improvement Center, other outlets and directly from Living Earth. The city of Houston receives a portion of the profits to promote recycling programs within the city, said Marina Joseph, spokeswoman for the city’s solid waste management department.
In League City, trees can be dropped off at the city’s public works facility at 1535 Dickinson Avenue between Jan. 3 and Jan. 18. The building is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday. Recyclers are asked to check in at the Street and Stormwater Department office before leaving trees.
The Galveston Partners in Composting, which is a partnership of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the city of Galveston and Moody Gardens, would like Galveston-area residents to do their part in helping the environment by turning Christmas trees into valuable mulch.
The annual Christmas tree recycling drive runs through Jan. 12. All live evergreen trees, including flocked trees, will be accepted. All tinsel, lights, decorations and plastic or metal stands should be removed. Wooden stands are permitted.
The 2007 effort succeeded in diverting more than 500 Christmas trees from the local landfill.
“We would like to double or even triple the number we received last year,” said Ken Steblein, UTMB recycling coordinator. “The mulch we make from the recycled trees will be used in the Galveston’s landscape during spring planting, but we could use a lot more.”
The UTMB drop-off site is the designated fenced area at the base of the water tower at Port Holiday and Harborside Drive. For more information, call 409-771-3305. The City of Galveston drop-off site is at the city recycling center, 702 61st Street. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They are closed Jan. 1. For more information, call 409-789-6410.
Recycled trees no longer are used to bolster sand dunes on Galveston beaches, said Keith Ware, environmental services supervisor for the city of Galveston. Trees can become dislodged and create floating hazards during severe storms, he said.
Instead, geothermal tubes - a fabric-type sock filled with compost - are now used to shore up dunes.
“A lot of them were still in place (after Hurricane Ike), so they do work,’’ he said.
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