Christmas Tree Recycling in Joplin, Missouri

Here we are again, knee deep in all the hoopla of the Christmas season; with lights, ornaments and festively wrapped presents all around a lush, green, fragrant tree. It's a magical time of the year that brings out the kid in (almost) all of us. But what about when it's all over? You have put all the lights, tensile and ornaments back in their storage box and everything is all neatly packed away and put up. However, that beautiful, lush green Christmas tree that gave you so much joy is now a naked evergreen that is totally out of place and in your way.

The California Christmas Tree Association estimates that 33 million real trees are bought in the U.S. each year for the Christmas season. What happens to all of those trees after the holidays are over? Many people just throw them away or burn them, although, as people are becoming more "environmentally conscious", Christmas tree recycling has become a growing trend. It's not just the large cities, almost every town has some type of recycling program for trees right after the holidays and Joplin, Missouri is no exception.

The city of Joplin, Missouri has had such good luck with their Christmas tree recycling, that they have four designated sites across town where you can drop of your tree starting on December 26th through the end of January. Of course, there are a few minor rules, like making sure all the decorations have been removed from the tree; if you go to the city's web site it will give more details about the drop off sites, dates and time. Most of the trees are eventually chipped up and made available to the public to be used for mulch or landscaping projects. This is done at the Recycling Center at 1310 W. A Street, Joplin, Missouri. For more information about when the mulch is available you can contact City of Joplin Recycling Coordinator, at 417-624-0820, extension 501.

There are a lot of ways to recycle your (live) Christmas tree when the holiday season is over, for instance; you can make the tree into a bird feeder, or it can nourish and provide shelter to lake and stream fish, or you can use the wood to make walking sticks. These ideas and a few more can be found here. You can check with the City of Joplin Recycling Coordinator for information about groups or organizations who may be doing free pickup of the Christmas trees. Your local church, the Boy Scouts or Kiwanis club may also have information. "No matter what you do, remember safety first". Bob Schultheis, a resource engineering specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, reminds us that dried Christmas trees are "extremely combustible and can build up resin in chimneys and cause fire". If you have never recycled your (live) Christmas tree and you live in Joplin, Missouri, it's easier than ever; give it a try this year, and start your own holiday recycling tradition.

Resources:

"Holiday safety and Christmas trees..some facts," California Christmas Tree Association. http://www.cachristmas.com/facts.html"Live Christmas trees recycling locations..," City of Joplin, Missouri. http://www.joplinmo.org/article.cfm?AID=694"Recycling Christmas, after December 25th," Joplin Independent. http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/l-onstot 1261423198