Give Christmas trees gift of new life

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Nothing says the holidays are over like the sight of a drying, undecorated Christmas tree sitting lonesome on the curb with the empty boxes and discarded wrapping paper.

But that doesn't mean the trees are heading to the landfill. Austin residents can give their trees a second life by recycling them into a local resource, city officials say. And the annual tree recycling campaign has keeps nearly 20,000 trees out area landfills after the holidays end.

For Austin curbside customers, recycling Christmas trees is as easy as setting it on the curb. Austin Resource Recovery will pick up all trees, along with yard trimmings, on regularly scheduled collection days. The collected trees and yard trimmings are then composted into Dillo Dirt.

Residents should use the following guidelines when recycling their tree:

• All trees 6 feet or taller should be cut in half (only for curbside collection)
• Remove all ornaments, decorations, lights and the tree stand
• Do not place tree in a “tree bag” before setting on the curb
• Only real Christmas trees may be recycled

All residents, including those without City of Austin curbside service, can drop off their trees at the Zilker Park Polo Fields between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the following days:

• Saturday, Jan. 5
• Sunday, Jan. 6
• Saturday, Jan. 12
• Sunday, Jan. 13

Mulch from trees collected at Zilker will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to Austin residents on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Austin’s Parks and Recreation department will also give out Desert Willow seedlings.