It’s been a popular year to buy real christmas trees. Now that the holidays are coming to a close, what can you do to get rid of them the right way?
In Boise, compost collectors will pick up Christmas trees on any collection day, as long as they haven’t been sprayed with artificial snow. Sydney Bennett is a materials management and environmental analyst for the City of Boise. She said the process has stayed the same since the compost program began.
"The first thing you need to do is make sure your tree is bare," she said. "That means to remove all ornaments, lights, tinsel, other decorations from the tree. The next thing you have to do is cut your trees into segments of no more than four feet in length."
Bennett said compost bins should be filled first, and any leftover sections of tree can be set beside them. Boise residents can then pick up the finished compost for free.
“So if you were so inclined, you could come and pick up some compost that may have been your tree next spring,” Bennett said.
For those not participating in Boise’s compost program, cut trees can be taken to the Ada county landfill until January 9.
Waste management and tree collection varies by city — for instance, trees in Nampa will be mulched and used for the city’s walking paths and tree wells. Here are the tree disposal guidelines for your city:
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