Help recycle Christmas trees

Have you ever thought of what could be done with the Christmas tree after the holiday heyday? After the holidays and after putting away all the glittering decorations, there are ways to use Christmas trees rather than just giving them to the trash collector.

In Bartow, Ga., the people donate their trees to the city and Bartow officials use them as fuel for a New Year’s Eve bonfire. But burning the trees will release carbon dioxide into the air.

In fact, the National Christmas Tree Association suggests that all homes use live Christmas trees instead of plastic ones for one principal reason: live trees can be recycled.

Plastic trees cannot be recycled. They can be reused over several years, yes, but ultimately they will be thrown away and end up in a landfill. But live trees are 100 percent biodegradable, and their nutrients can be returned to the soil.

Many states have found various ways to recycle Christmas trees.

* In Georgia, there is a statewide campaign to encourage people to bring their trees to wood chipping facilities scattered throughout the state. The trees are converted into wood chips and mulched; they are subsequently used for public playgrounds, individual yards, and other beautification programs.

* In Porter County, Indiana, the county’s Recycling and Waste Reduction (RWR) District cooperates with an environmental group and high school volunteers to gather used trees. These are hauled to a 25-acre wildlife rehabilitation site in Moraine Ridge. The trees provide cover to small wildlife, such as birds, raccoons and chipmunks, and keep them safe from predators or during extreme weather.

* In Gulf Shores, Alabama, recycled Christmas trees are used to help restore the natural habitat in beaches ruined by hurricanes. Volunteers rebuild the sand dunes by erecting at least 3,000 feet of sand fencing. A Christmas tree is used to anchor the base at every 10-foot section of the fence.

* In Louisiana, marshland destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina has been gradually restored using discarded Christmas trees.

* In Wisconsin, trees pass through a grinder and used to fuel a boiler. The steam is converted to electric power to run a pulp and paper mill plant.

* In Toronto, Canada, a pharmaceutical company extracts shikimic acid from the needles of discarded trees. This extract is used in the manufacture of medications for influenza.

* In Arkansas, discarded trees are placed in ponds and lakes to serve as fish shelters.

Safety Tip:

* Help recycle Christmas trees. Check the website of the National Christmas Tree Association for ideas on how to recycle trees.