Even dressed down after the holidays, real Christmas trees serve a purpose. Here’s how
There comes a time when you want that corner of your living room back. The one that’s been dwarfed by a towering Christmas tree, still aglow and out of place post-holiday.
If it’s a real tree, a saccharine Fraser fir or innocuous white pine, the branches have drooped and too many needles have shed. Sure, once the tree has run ragged, its stint as a spruced-up Christmas staple is over. But its utility is far from gone.
From the 350 million Christmas trees currently growing across the nation, 30 million are harvested and sold each year, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. Unlike its artificial counterpart that contains non-biodegradable plastics and cannot be recycled, real trees serve environmental purposes before and after the holiday season.
While they’re growing, the association said, those trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen. Once felled, for every tree purchased, farmers plant between one and three seedlings in its place.
“That means more trees to fight climate change and to provide more vital benefits for people and nature like clean air and water, wildlife habitat and healthy soil,” The Nature Conservancy said.
When the tree is past its holiday prime, recycling it can reap benefits. Once ground down, the bits can be used for mulch. Other parts of the country use shredded trees as a renewable and natural path material for hiking trails.
In Beaufort County, real trees will be accepted for recycling at all County Convenience Centers for those with decals, or they can be collected on pickup days, said county spokesperson Hannah Nichols. After the holiday, the centers will reopen Dec. 26, however, they will shutter on New Year’s Day.
Those without Convenience Center decals are restricted to the Shanklin Road or Simmonsville Road locations.
From Dec. 26 to Jan. 11 at two locations, Hilton Head Island’s Grinding of the Greens program will accept real Christmas trees and wreaths for recycling. The program will also collect holiday lights. The locations:
Coligny Beach (big parking lot), paved area on the South Forest Beach side.
Old Gullah Flea Market site (designated area of William Hilton Parkway and Chamberlain Drive).
Before heading out to haul off a Christmas tree for recycling, remove all lights, garland and ornaments. Trees should be in yard waste bins.
County Convenience Center locations, hours
All centers are closed on Wednesdays and New Year’s Day. Operation hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday:
- Bluffton: 104 Simmonsville Road
- Hilton Head: 26 Summit Drive
- Shanklin: 80 Shanklin Road in Beaufort
St. Helena: 639 Sea Island Parkway
Open Monday, Thursday and Saturday:
- Big Estate: 63 Big Estate Road in Sheldon
- Coffin Point: 10 Cee Cee Road on St. Helena
Lobeco: 6 Keans Neck Road in Seabrook
Open Sunday, Tuesday and Friday:
- Sheldon: 208 Johnson Road in Seabrook
Cuffy: 152 Cuffy Road on St. Helena
This story was originally published December 27, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
