ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — As the holiday season wraps up, many people will begin to take down their Christmas trees. Environmental experts say that how those trees are disposed of can make a difference.
Environmental science professor David Gillette at UNC Asheville says recycling live Christmas trees instead of sending them to landfills helps reduce environmental harm.
“When we take a tree or any other organic matter, and we put it into a landfill instead, it’s in an environment where it really isn’t able to break down naturally and fuel all those other processes,” Gillette said.
According to Gillette, recycling Christmas trees allows them to be repurposed, often into mulch that returns nutrients to the soil.
“If we recycle a tree instead of putting it into a landfill it’s typically turned into mulch, and so that allows the nutrients and everything to break down, and it benefits the soil, so then of course we don’t need to use more trees, more wood, to produce that compost otherwise,” he said.
For those who use artificial Christmas trees, environmentalists say it’s important to remember the key to recycling: reduce, reuse and recycle.
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“The first is to try and reduce what we need, and so that means using the things we purchase for as long as we possibly can,” Gillette said. “If it’s made out of plastic and metal, of course, that’s not going to break down naturally. You can’t recycle that as easily.”
Some local landfills, including the Buncombe County landfill, recycle live Christmas trees into mulch. Gillette says it’s important for residents to check where their trees will go before dropping them off.
“If we are able to take our trees to be recycled, then that allows them to be broken down to create mulch, and if you want to think of it this way, let them have another life,” he said.
Residents who were dropping off their trees in Henderson County the day after Christmas said they support recycling efforts.
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“That way they don’t go in the landfill somewhere or wherever they don’t need to be, so I brought them over here to be recycled, and I’m sure somebody could use the mulch,” Hendersonville resident John Dunn said.
Hendersonville County will be collecting live Christmas trees through Jan. 10 at Jackson Park near Ball Field No. 6.
Asheville residents can place live Christmas trees at the curb for regular brush collection. The city reminds residents to remove all lights, ornaments and stands before disposal.