PENFIELD, N.Y. (WROC) — Are you someone who prefers to keep the Christmas tree up until New Years? Or are you looking to get a head-start and take it down right away?
Either way, instead of throwing it to the curb, many towns and the city are encouraging recycling.
Penfield has been encouraging residents to recycle their trees for over 20 years.
Penfield Town Supervisor Tony Lafountain says it’s important we minimize what is going in the landfill.
When you recycle your tree, it will go in a pile of other trees to be ground up into mulch for the community to use throughout the year.
“So the pile has started, and we look to grind that all up and give to residents so they can use in gardens and other places on their property” Lafountain said.
According to Lafountain, Penfield usually gets around 700 — 1000 trees from residents each year, and drop-off usually starts to pick up after the new year.
He says more and more people come out each year, and it’s nothing the town is new to.
“We’re not a newcomer by any means, we started a recycling program back in the early ’90s and just kept building from there, I would say 20 years or more we’ve been doing Christmas tree recycling,” he said.
While it might be easier and less time-consuming to take it to the curb, Lafountain says you’re helping our yourself, and other neighbors in the long-run.
“I have a pick-up truck, so I’m known to pick up trees in my neighborhood by curb, and take them over to DPW just to make it easier from a recycling standpoint,” Lafountain said.
To drop off your tree in Penfield, go to the back of the parking lot at the DPW, 1207 Jackson Road. Lafountain says you can go during the week or weekends.
Recycling your Christmas tree may look unique for every town and village. Some towns like Greece and Brighton have opted into a recycling routine for trees thrown to the curbside.
Towns like Irondequoit, Penfield and Mendon require you to drop off your tree on-site.
Here’s a full list of places you can go to recycle your tree in Monroe County.
