With the holidays now behind us, there’s no better way to officially wrap it up than sustainably disposing of your Christmas tree. New York City Parks’ annual Mulchfest started on December 26 and will run through January 9, making it easy for New Yorkers to dispose of their trees at 74 drop-off sites across the five boroughs. Mulchfest’s Chipping Weekend will take place on January 8 and 9 at 35 locations, giving participants the opportunity to watch as their tree is mulched and given back to them in a bag to use for further planting.
Images courtesy of NYC Parks
The mulch from the trees will be used by NYC Parks and the DSNY to maintain healthy plant life all across the city, from the thousands of trees that line the streets to foliage in city parks. Mulch is an integral part of healthy plant life, giving plant roots the nutrients and protection they need to thrive. Instead of having thousands of discarded trees end up in garbage dumps, they will be recycled and put back into the environment in the form of mulch.
After making sure to remove all lights and ornaments, participants can bring their trees to any of the 74 drop-off sites across the city, including:
Bronx
Van Cortlandt Park
Golf course at Bailey Ave. & Van Cortlandt Park S.
Brooklyn
Prospect Park
Lincoln Rd. & Ocean Ave.
Park Cir. & Parkside Ave.
Third St. & Prospect Park W.
Manhattan
Washington Square Park
Fifth Ave. & Washington Square N.
Queens
Hunters Point South Park
51st Ave. and Center Blvd
Staten Island
Conference House Park
Parking lot at Hylan Blvd. & Satterlee St.
Since the event’s inception, the number of trees mulched has gone up exponentially. On average, anywhere between 25,000 and 30,000 trees are mulched annually, with nearly 60,000 mulched during Mulchfest 2020.
For those who don’t have time to venture to a mulching site, the Department of Sanitation will collect and compost trees left on curbsides until January 15.
If you are someone interested in taking part in this effort to maintain our city’s plant life, you can volunteer here. For more information on Mulchfest, as well as the full list of Mulchfest drop-off and chipping sites, you can visit nyc.gov/parks/mulchfest.
Images courtesy of NYC Parks
POSTED TODAY, JANUARY 4, 2022BY AARON GINSBURG