A thought need to be spared for the good old Christmas tree — a tree that is loved and decorated as the central feature of many households for almost a whole month … and come January it is  stripped of all the lights and decorations and dumped. But don’t feel too bad for the trees that gave their lives for the holidays … their jobs aren’t over yet.

Thanks to the municipality’s Christmas tree recycling program, bare trees will be chopped and mulched into re-usable wood chips to be spread over roads and trash piles at the local landfill sites.

Until January 11, Lac La Biche County staff  will be picking up and recycling old Christmas trees. Residents that have curb-side pick up service just have to call (780 )623-6379 and it will all be taken care of— as long as the trees to be picked up are natural and there are no decorations left on them.

Jihad Moghrabi— a spokesperson for the Lac La Biche County said the municipality prides itself on several recycling and environmental initiatives. With the Christmas Tree Recycling Program now in its  sixth year the number of residents using the program has grown each year.

“I’m pleased to say that many community members take advantage of our recycling programs, including this one. Last year, a total of 96 natural Christmas trees were recycled through the program,” said Moghrabi.

How are they recycled?

“The trees are added to the natural wood recycling pile at our landfills. A chipper breaks down the wood into small pieces, and a magnet removes any metals that happen to be in the pile,” Moghrabi continued, “The wood chips are used along landfill roads, and as daily cover for the landfill’s active face. The daily cover is added to protect the environment—it shields waste from wind, rain, and animals, and prevents waste from spreading.”

Tree for a tree?

A final addition to the recycling program will see one new tree planted in a municipal green space for every Christmas tree that is recycled.

“Every year, the County orders a variety of tree seedlings, which we plant throughout our parks and open spaces to compensate for the natural Christmas trees that are cut down… We plant tree seedlings in local parks, such as Alexander Hamilton Park,” said Moghrabi.