Saturday, May 4, 2024
Since the holiday season is wrapping up, the City of Gatesville has made its annual recycling bin available for locals to drop off live Christmas trees at the Chamber Depot.
The drop-off bin will be available until Monday, Jan. 1. The City of Gatesville will then gather the recycled trees on Tuesday, Jan. 2.
The City of Gatesville’s Finance and Human Resource Director Mike Halsema said, “In addition, residents may place their live Christmas trees with other brushes on their regularly scheduled brush and bulky item pickup day.”
Before recycling a live Christmas tree, it needs to be cleaned of all holiday decorations and flocking. Be sure to remove all the lights, ornaments, tree toppers, artificial snow, tinsel, tree stands, and other metal structures.
“If they are dropped off at the location by the depot, then they are ground up along with other brushes and used around the city,” Halsema said.
The most obvious benefit of using a real tree is that they are natural.
While live trees are beneficial, they still require resources to grow and maintain including water, pesticides, and other farming by-products are a given. The trees produce the largest negative impact through the fuel consumption needed to take them from the tree farm to your home.
Even when they are cut down, the roots left behind enrich the soil and store carbon. When you are done with a real tree, they can be recycled by mulching and composting.
Recycling lessens the environmental impact of Christmas tree harvesting and gives your tree life beyond the holiday season.
For more information, contact the City of Gatesville at 254-865-8951.
The Chamber Depot is located at 2607 S. TX-36 in Gatesville.
