As We See It

Christmas tree recycling: Donate your evergreen to the environment

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Just like Christmas trees, environmentalism is evergreen.

You recycle paper, cardstock and boxes, so why wouldn’t you do the same with the noble fir that produces those products? Each year local public and private organizations team up to collect and recycle Christmas trees, which are in turn made into mulch that gets distributed among Valley parks and public gardens like the Springs Preserve. This year, the environmental effort has been amped up, with Boulder City participating for the first time and 13 drop-off sites added to the (already) lengthy list. According to the Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling Project, last year’s recycling effort spared the local landfill 2,113 cubic yards—that’s about the size of eight (!) school buses. While that number seems high, the project estimates that of the 200,000 trees sold this year in the Valley, only 7 percent (!!) will end up being recycled. So, if you’re used to dumping your tree curbside, reconsider—just like Christmas trees, environmentalism is evergreen.

For more information on the recycling project and to find out where to drop off your Christmas tree, visit the Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling Project's Facebook page.

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