Sure, the holidays are all fun and games — but if you celebrate Christmas, you know that sooner or later you have to deal with that “Night of the Living Dead” tree in the corner. That doesn’t mean it’s dumpster-bound. Instead, we have some tips on how to put an old tree to good use.
Curbside pickup
The City of Boston will recycle your tree for you: all you have to do is bring it out to the curb during the first two weeks of January. To make sure it gets properly recycled, you’ll need to remove the tinsel, garland, tree stand + ornaments before bringing it out.
Cambridge residents can also have their trees picked up during these two weeks. If you miss the curbside collection period, bring your tree to the Cambridge recycling center during open hours through Sat., Jan. 29.
Feed it to the goats
Yes, you read that right. You can turn your Christmas tree into a snack for local goats to gobble. Trees should of course be dropped off sans decorations and tinsel, otherwise the goats might get sick.
Channell Homestead in Hanson, Carl E. Dahl House in Gardner + Hidden Hill Farm in Spencer are just a few of the Massachusetts farms seeking tree donations for their hungry goats. Find more locations that will gladly take your Christmas tree.
Make your own mulch
When you take a tree to a recycling center they turn it into mulch — so, why not use it for your own yard + spring garden? Ideally, you could shred the tree (for example, Home Depot has mulchers for rent), but usually by the time the holidays are over, the needles are already falling off. You can spread them in garden beds or over the lawn.
