New Year's Recycling

According to the Department, "Residents should remove all tree stands, tinsel, lights, and ornaments from holiday trees before they are put out at curbside for removal. Trees must not be placed into plastic bags. Clean, non-bagged Christmas trees that are left at the curb between Monday, January 5th and Friday, January 16th will be collected, chipped, and made into compost. The compost will be processed and subsequently spread upon parks, ball fields, and community gardens throughout the city."

Last year, the Department collected over 160,000 discarded Christmas trees.

In addition, the Parks & Recreation Department will be hosting Mulchfest 2009 on Saturday, January 10th and Sunday, January 11th from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. at various sites throughout the city. You can find out where to bring your trees by visiting http://nycgovparks.org/services/mulchfest/mulchfest.html. At certain sites, you can bring a plastic bag and receive free mulch.

You can learn more about recycling in New York City by visiting the NYC WasteLe$$ Web site.

[The picture above comes from an article in the New York Times about last year's Mulchfest.]