REGINA — The City of Regina doesn't want this year's Christmas tree to end up in the landfill. Tutn them into compost instead, says the city.
If you bought a natural Christmas tree this year, drop it off for composting at the Yard Waste Depot from Dec. 26 to Jan. 31, Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Saskatchewan Chapter, a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of healthy boreal and prairie ecosystems in Saskatchewan, encourages taking your live tree to the local drop-off. The trees taken by the city are usually composted or mulched and used for landscaping right there in your neighbourhood, says CPAWS.
It is not the only option, however. Here are a few other tips from CPAWS:
- Mulch it yourself, and use it in your flowerbeds come spring!
- Use the branches as a base for your new compost pile. Just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean you can’t keep (or start) composting right through the winter!
- Even if you live in a small-town community with no tree-recycling program, you can rest assured that that tree will decompose (wherever it goes), rather than just sitting in a landfill forever.
Burning it in your indoor fireplace is not a safe option, though, says the Square One home insurance company: Old, dry evergreen trees burn very quickly and very hot; they can even ignite creosote deposits in your chimney.
Another option really gets back to nature. Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) strongly recommend using your Christmas tree as a backyard habitat for birds and other wildlife, offering shelter, warmth, and food, and improving soil as it decomposes, turning it into a "small act of backyard conservation" to help struggling bird populations.
Artificial trees
What if you had an artificial tree and you are ready to retire it, or want to go natural next year?
CPAWS says, unfortunately, it can be very difficult to find a way to recycle an artificial tree in Saskatchewan. If you know you won’t be putting it up again next year, try:
- Holding onto it until next November, and then either donating it to the second-hand store of your choice, or putting it on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. Make sure that your tree is going to get more use before it finds itself in the landfill for the rest of time.
- Turning it into other Christmas decorations. If you know that tree is at the end of its life, get some wire cutters and a sturdy pair of pliers, and make some wreaths! They’re great gifts to give to your less upcycling-inclined friends, and they ensure that your tree will still spread some cheer even after its natural life is over.
