Photo: O’ tannenbaum. Auf wiedersehen
With Christmas a fading memory, the time has come to take down the ornaments and lights and take the ex-Christmas tree to the curb. But don’t take too long to undress the fern: trees will be collected for recycling only during the first two weeks of January, Jan. 6 – 17.
The evergreen will be picked up on your regular trash day. No tree bags or tree stands, just the trees.
After Jan. 17, trees are considered bulk items (a “bulky”), and an appointment will need to be made with Waste Management to remove the once proud arbor. Its phone number is 1-800-963-4776.
But you don’t need to dump the tree on the side of the road; your former Christmas tree can help the local bird population. Past-Christmas trees make excellent bird habitats if you have room in your backyard. Remove all decorations, especially the tinsel, and secure the tree with stakes and twine so it doesn’t blow into your neighbor’s yard. Hang popcorn or fresh fruit with string in the branches to give your feathered friends a mid-winter snack.