FARMINGTON — Christmas trees don't have to become useless once the holiday season has passed.
Farmington Clean and Beautiful is partnering with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to host a Christmas tree recycling program for the seventh consecutive year. The trees are pushed through a wood chipper and the resulting mulch is spread in Farmington public parks.
Debbie Homer, Farmington Clean and Beautiful program specialist, doesn't know how many trees are donated annually. She said the organization always acquires large quantities of mulch.
"It's enough that we can use it in several parks," Homer said.
Trees can be dropped off in the Berg Park parking lot or at Farmington Fire Station No. 5 near the intersection of Butler Avenue and 30th Street. Trees should be stripped of all foreign objects, including tinsel and nails, before being deposited.
Parks department workers will pick up discarded trees periodically until Jan. 7.
Turning Christmas trees into mulch not only benefits local parks, it also saves space in landfills.
"Once you chop a tree down, and you put it in the house and everything, it's technically dead," Homer said. "You can continue to use it and break down the volume or mass that you
Farmington Clean and Beautiful doesn't exist solely to recycle Christmas trees. The organization relies partially on volunteers to accomplish its goal: keeping the city as trash-free as possible.
"A lot of the activities that we do require volunteers to help us. Without them, some of the stuff we do would just be a lot more difficult to pull off," said Shawn Lyle, program specialist for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
The association works with Waste Management twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, to organize "Dumpster Weekend." Citizens deposit yard waste, trash, refrigerators, computers, cell phones and other items that the organizations then dispose of responsibly.
Volunteers are required for the environmentally friendly project to exist. Many volunteers are a part of large groups, such as church delegations, but individuals can contribute as well.
Farmington Clean and Beautiful also runs the "Adopt-A-Spot" program. Individuals or groups can claim a segment of roadway and are responsible for keeping it tidy. Volunteers get their name painted on a sign that's displayed in their area.
Besides these established volunteer opportunities, Farmington Clean and Beautiful and the parks department often need help with other special events.
"I couldn't do half the special events I'm involved in without volunteers," Lyle said.
Get involved
Recycle your Christmas tree by dropping it off at Berg Park or Farmington Fire Station No. 5 before Jan. 7.
Contact Farmington Clean and Beautiful at (505) 599-1426 for more information about volunteering or the tree recycling program.
G. Jeff Golden: jgolden@daily-times.com
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