What to do with your leftover Christmas tree

Many Canadians have spent the past few weeks enjoying the glow and glitter of a Christmas tree in their home. But as the holidays fade away, the annual question of what to do with that Christmas tree is starting to creep up.

Those who used an artificial Christmas tree may be able to just pack it back up in the closet, but for those with natural Christmas trees, there are several different options for safely throwing out, recycling or reusing them.

DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING

The disposal protocol for Christmas trees can be different from city to city or region to region, so the most important thing is to look up the schedule for your area.

Most urban centres will have a pickup schedule outlining which weeks you can put your Christmas tree out on the curb for trash or green bin pickup.

Trees put out for pickup will need to be free of all decorations and unbagged. Often trees that are taller than two metres, or 6.5 feet, will need to be cut into two pieces.

The rules for disposal can be different depending on the city. Some areas will only accept trees placed on the curbside on the days specified for pickup, while others will also allow regular green bin pickup if the tree has been chopped up small enough to fit into the green bin itself.

Make sure to check what the guidelines in your local region are.

Some cities have dedicated Christmas tree recycling programs, which turn the trees into wood chips for reuse.

For instance, Winnipeg has recycled more than 418,000 trees over the past 32 years, according to the recycling program’s website, diverting more than 1,905 tonnes from ending up in the city’s landfill. In the 2022-23 Christmas tree season, more than 5,000 trees were recycled. Unbagged trees can be dropped off at any of the 10 city recycling depots, which are open until Jan. 31.

GIVING YOUR TREE A NEW LIFE

Don’t want to dispose of or recycle your tree? Well, in many places there are options for more creative reuse of Christmas trees, ranging from decoration for skating paths to food and entertainment for farm animals.

The National Capital Commission is currently accepting Christmas tree donations in Ottawa—these go towards decoration for the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail as well as the Rideau Canal Skateway, where they help to screen trail goers and skaters from the wind. The trees are then recycled afterwards into wood chips.

A wildlife centre near Barrie, Ont. is asking for locals to consider donating their Christmas trees to help injured and orphaned animals by providing natural decoration for their enclosures.

“Our squirrels really love them, our raccoons love them, skunks use them for hiding places, our possums climb them as well,” staffer Kylee Hinde told CTV News Barrie.

Christmas trees can also provide a fun change of pace in the diet of goats at local farms. Several Ontario farms have previously accepted Christmas tree donations, such as the Rodrigues Farm in Ayr, the Top Market Family Farm in Ariss, and the Brantford Twin Valley Zoo.

A Manitoba farm recently announced it is looking for Christmas tree donations, saying the goats love the green needles of a Christmas tree.

Goats in Nova Scotia are also chowing down on the trees this time of year.

“Goats love Christmas trees, this is their after-Christmas snack that they have,” Brian Hatfield, owner of Hatfield Farm in Nova Scotia, told CTV News Atlantic last week. “It’s a natural dewormer for a goat (…) And it’s great roughage inside their stomach.”

He added that they like when people call ahead before they donate, as that ensures they don’t get overrun with too many trees. While the goats love them, it takes them three days to eat one.

“The goats, especially for them, it’s a happy dance when they’re inside of here eating a Christmas tree.”