The Life Cycle Of Christmas Trees

Now that the winter holidays are behind us and the new year is in full swing, Christmas trees throughout the Triad are being tossed to the curb. But what happens to them next, and how does it impact the environment?

Throwing away a cherished family tree at the end of the season can be a bit of a downer, but it doesn't have to be. In Guilford County they're manually collected curbside on regular yard waste collection days, loaded onto a truck, and hauled to the White Street Landfill facility where they're turned into compost and sold for cheap — as low $20 a ton — to local gardeners.

Waste Reduction Supervisor for the city of Greensboro Tori Carle says, unlike artificial trees, composting the real thing's a win-win for consumers and the environment.

“That gets turned back into a soil amendment that's going to nourish future generations of plants and grasses and just the natural environment around your own home if you were to go back to Greensboro and get compost or mulch from our facility,” says Carle.

But the environmental benefits of this season's Christmas trees actually began long ago.

"Live trees spent many years being a carbon sink, pulling carbon out of the atmosphere," she says. "They're also providing habitat for animals living on the Christmas tree farms."

Carle says if your tree is taller than five feet, cut it in half before bringing it to the curb. And please, no ornaments, tinsel, or stands.