The holidays have come and gone, leaving behind a lingering scent of pine needles and a melancholic feeling as the decorations are packed away; however, the discarded Christmas tree, once a centerpiece of joy and festivity, is about to embark on a new life, far from the confines of the living room.
“Most cities and municipalities will have curbside pickup of real Christmas trees,” explained Gary Crawford. “They’ll chop ’em up for mulch or make some use of them like that.”
Retired Kansas State University Forester Charlie Barden knows that the life of a Christmas tree could extend far beyond mere mulch.
“We, quite often, will take a leftover tree and tie it up to the corner of the deck right near our bird feeder,” Charlie shared. “It gives a place for the birds to perch and get out of the wind on a cold night.”
The tree, once a source of festive cheer, can then offer shelter and sustenance to wildlife. Birds can nestle amongst its branches, and find refuge from the harsh winter winds.
“If you don’t have a bird feeder,” Charlie continued, “You can make the tree, itself, into a big bird feeder by stringing popcorn or putting peanut butter in a pine cone.”
The discarded tree, stripped of its ornaments, could become a vibrant buffet for feathered friends.
The benefits extend even further in the backyard. “Take a clipper and clip off all the branches and use the boughs as extra mulch around some of your semi-hardy perennials,” Charlie suggested. “It will offer protection for some of the flowers or rose bushes in the garden that sometimes get damaged by the severe cold.”
The soft, fragrant boughs provide insulation, protecting delicate plants from the harsh winter elements.
The uses for a discarded Christmas tree are truly diverse. “We just usually take half a cement block or so and use a piece of rope to tie it onto the base of the tree and sink it into a pond,” Charlie explained. “They act as a mini coral reef. Different vegetation, algae plant,s will grow around on the branches, and that will attract young fish and small minnows.”
The once-festive tree now offered a haven for aquatic life, providing shelter and a thriving ecosystem within the pond.
“Some beach towns put old trees to good use,” Gary added. “We’ve seen some used for erosion on sand dunes.”
The sturdy branches, once adorned with twinkling lights, now help to stabilize the shoreline, protecting the coast from the relentless forces of nature.
However, Charlie cautioned against one particular use: Using the tree for firewood. He said, “That can be dangerous with the pitch pockets. The moisture in the tree can make little explosions and send sparks across the room.”
Burning the Christmas tree in the fireplace, while tempting, could pose a significant fire hazard.
As the holidays fade into memory, it becomes clear that the life of a Christmas tree is far from over. From providing shelter for birds to protecting delicate plants and enriching aquatic ecosystems, the discarded tree finds a new purpose, reminding us that even after the festivities have ended, the spirit of giving continues.
There are several places in Oklahoma City to recycle your Real Christmas Tree. Here are a few tips:
Christmas Tree Recycling
Christmas trees can be recycled this year by dropping them off at Mitch Park by January 17, 2025. Trees are chipped, and free mulch will be available for residents to pick up at Mitch Park.
Drop Off Location
Residents may drop off their Christmas tree at Mitch Park, in the north parking lot adjacent to Marilyn Williams Drive (east of the pavilion and playground).
Guidelines
The trees will be chipped, so please remove all tree stands, nails, and ornaments.
Commercial accounts, Christmas tree lots, and other businesses will also need to dispose of their trees by dropping them off at the Mitch Park drop-off location.
Schedule Tree Collection
If you can’t drop off your tree, residential customers can schedule a special, free collection the week before January 6. Call the tree-cycling hotline at (405) 359-4701 between December 30 and January 3 to be placed on the schedule. Collection will be provided during the week starting Monday, January 6, and ending Friday, January 10.
When placing your tree out for collection, please do not cover your water meter.
Trees may not necessarily be picked up on normal trash collection day. So, those who have called the hotline must place their tree at the curb before 7:00 am Monday, January 6 to be included in this collection.
Self-Disposal
If you miss the special collection:
- Cut your tree into smaller pieces and place it in your cart for regular collection. Ensure that no debris is sticking out of the closed container.
- Schedule a monthly, bulk collection for January by calling Utility Customer Service at (405) 359-4541 beginning January 2. The bulk collection fee is $10 per cubic yard for the first two cubic yards and $5 for each additional cubic yard.
- Take your tree to the Transfer Station located at I-35 and Covell Road (3333 Progressive Drive) for disposal. The charge for the disposal of a Christmas tree is $7.
| Why Recycle Your Christmas Tree? Pinewood and needles are excellent mulch-making materials. Even if you miss the City’s tree-cycling program, you can recycle your Christmas Tree to make natural wood chip and pine straw mulch! Just let the tree dry, have the branches chopped, and then let the wood chips rot before using them to mulch around trees and shrubs. If you don’t have a woodchipper, the pine needles work well also since they dry quickly but decompose slowly. What is Pine Mulch? Pine mulch is an organic mulch made from fallen pine needles (also known as “straw”) or pine tree bark. Pine straw mulch is a popular mulch because it is lightweight yet remains stable and cohesive. Pine mulch is an indispensable part of landscaping and gardening because it reduces water evaporation in soil, suppresses weeds, limits erosion, and adds nutrients to soil. Coming from the shedding of various pine tree species, pine mulch is completely natural and sustainable. After the pine needles have dried, they become pine straw. Pine straw can be used as a yard or garden mulch, much like wood mulch, straw, or shredded leaves. Benefits of Pine Straw Mulch: Dense: Holds in moisture and moderates soil temperature. Porous: Water can easily soak through. Loose: Loose and light so it is easy to redistribute if needed. Attractive: An attractive complement that fits the look of most yards .Stable: Forms a stable mat that is difficult to wash or blow away. Inexpensive: Can be produced from your own pine trees, for free pine straw mulch. |
Blanchard, OK – See their website or call them for this year’s information. Phone: (405) 485-9392. There was no update on their website for this year. Last year, they said: The City will accept trees with trunk diameters that are 4-inches or less at the Citizens Collection Center. The Center’s hours of operation are from 4:00 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and until noon on Saturdays.
Choctaw, OK – Call 405-390-8276.
Del City – Call (405) 671-2873 or (405) 671-2820 to schedule individual pickup, at an additional charge.
Edmond, Oklahoma
Christmas trees can be recycled this year by dropping them off at either Hafer Park or Mitch Park by the last Friday in January. Trees are chipped, and free mulch is available for residents to pick up at Mitch Park after January 29.
Drop off your Christmas tree at:
Hafer Park – upper-level parking lot adjacent to Bryant Avenue.
Mitch Park – On the South end of the West parking lot adjacent to Marilyn Williams (directly across from the MAC)
The trees will be chipped, so please remove all tree stands, nails, and ornaments. Commercial accounts, Christmas tree lots, and other businesses will need to dispose of their trees by dropping them off at one of the two drop-off locations.
Schedule Tree Collection
If you can’t drop off your tree, residential customers can schedule a special, free collection the first full week in January. Call the tree-cycling hotline at (405) 359-4701 during the first full week in January after New Year’s Day to be placed on the schedule. Collection will be provided during the week starting the 2nd Monday in January and ending Friday in mid-January.
If You Miss the Special Collection:
Cut your tree into smaller pieces and place it in your cart for regular collection. Ensure that no debris is sticking out of the closed container.
Schedule a monthly, bulk collection for January by calling Utility Customer Services at (405) 359-4541 beginning January the first Monday in January after New Year’s Day. The bulk collection fee is $10 per cubic yard for the first two cubic yards and $5 for each additional cubic yard.
Take your tree to the Transfer Station located at I-35 and Covell Road for disposal. The charge for disposal of a Christmas tree is $5.
Midwest City, OK
During the month of January, you can drop off your live Christmas tree at our Christmas Tree Drop Off on Jim White Drive. The designated drop-off area is just east of Fire Station No. 6 which is at 8750 SE 15th.
The live trees are chipped for compost material so it is very important that you remove all lights, decorations, ornaments, and ornament hangers.
For questions or to schedule a special pickup ( $55 per half hour) call (405) 739-1370.
Moore, OK
Christmas Tree Pick-Up: Live Christmas trees will be picked up from Wednesday, December 26th through the first Friday after New Year’s Day. Trees need to be cut in 3 foot lengths and placed beside your household trash on your normal trash day before 7 am Call the Moore Public Works Department at 793-5070 if you need additional information about the Christmas tree disposal program.
Newcastle, OK
See their website or call (405)387-4427.
Norman, OK
Norman will pick up on regular compost collection dates (cut into half or thirds if its huge!!)
Oklahoma City, OK
Residents can place their Christmas tree, stripped of ornaments, on the curb to be collected during Bulky Waste pick up for their neighborhood. The dates will be listed on your water bill or can look up their Bulky Waste Pick Up dates on the OKC.gov website, link above.
Piedmont, OK – Call 405-373-2000, there is nothing on their website this year. Phone: (405) 373-2621.
Stillwater, OK – Christmas Tree Removal
The City of Stillwater offers two options for families who enjoy live Christmas trees. Regardless of which method you choose, trees must be stripped of all decorations – tinsel, lights, and ornaments.
One option is to prepare the tree for the City of Stillwater yard waste collection. Bundles must be shorter than four feet long and less than 18 inches across. Bundles must weigh less than 35 pounds. Leave it curbside as yard waste, which is collected weekly on your pickup day except for the first one of the month
The other option is to drop the tree off at the Convenience Collection Center. There is no charge to drop off
Christmas trees. For live Christmas tree removal, customers can drop off their tree at the Convenience Collection Center (bring a recent city utility bill). Residential waste management customers receive trash, single-stream, and glass recycling collection on city-observed holidays, but not yard waste collection. Commercial routes run as usual on city-observed holidays.
Here is a list of recyclables accepted in your single-stream recycle cart:
Cardboard boxes (flattened)
Rigid plastics labeled No. 1, 2, and 5 only
Metal cans and containers (including empty Christmas tins that contained popcorn, cookies or candy)
Aluminum cans
Tulsa, OK – In December and January, residents may put trees at the curb on their primary collection day. Trees need to be cut into 4-foot sections to fit into the hopper of the refuse trucks. Residents throwing away artificial trees need to put them in the gray trash cart. Tulsa residents also may bring their live Christmas trees to be ground into mulch at the City’s Mulch Site, 2100 N. 145th East Ave. Trees brought to the site must have all decorations removed. The mulch site will be closed on December 24, 25, and 26, and January 1st. On January 2, it will resume its usual schedule of 7:30 am to 5 pm. seven days a week, excluding City holidays. The City of Tulsa created a video about the City’s recycling system and process – https://youtu.be/XSsCyaSoB9U
The Village
Residents can put the tree curbside, during their regular trash pickup day in January.
Yukon, Oklahoma
Yukon utility customers may dispose of their used live Christmas tree curbside during a three-week period, according to the City of Yukon’s Sanitation Services Department. From December 28th through mid-January, Sanitation Services will pick up used Christmas trees placed at the curb for free. The service is for live trees only. No artificial trees are accepted. Live trees must be prepared by removing all decorations, lights, and any metal, such as tree stands and ornaments. They should not be placed inside a plastic bag. These actions will assist Sanitation personnel, who will use a chipper to dispose of the trees. During the designated dates, residents may place their live tree at the curb during their neighborhood’s routine trash collection day. Residents are asked to observe the designated three-foot minimum distance around their polycart when placing the trees at the curb so that it does not interfere with the automated trash truck that empties carts. A different truck and crew will go through the neighborhoods to collect the live trees.
For more information or questions, please contact us at sanitationservices@yukonok.gov or 354-4317.
Article and audio Courtesy of USDA
