Americans buy – and then must dispose of – about 30 million Christmas trees each year.
If those trees go to a landfill, they can have a carbon footprint between 3.5 – 16kg of CO2, according to the Carbon Trust. However, finding a way to recycle that tree brings its footprint down to the lower end of that range.
St. Louis County Parks and the Missouri Department of Conservation have teamed up once again to offer the public a program to recycle their unwanted Christmas trees through January 16, 2022.
The collected trees will be sunk by the Missouri Department of Conservation in Spanish Lake to create habitats for fish. Christmas trees provide particularly favorable fish habitats because of their branching structures, which allow fish room to shelter from predators and shade from the sun.
Trees not used as fish habitats will be mulched, and that mulch will help keep moisture in the soil between rains, regulate soil temperature, and
All trees must be cleared of tinsel, ornaments, and decorations before recycling.
Individuals and families can drop off their undecorated, natural-cut Christmas tree at one of four County Parks locations:
• Spanish Lake Park – 12500 Spanish Pond Road, 63138
• Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park – 13777 Marine Avenue, 63146
• Queeny Park – 550 Weidman Road, 63011
• Bee Tree Park – 2701 Finestown Road, 63129
Some St. Louis City parks are also serving as Christmas tree drop-off locations.
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Forest Park, Lower Muny Opera parking lot
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O’Fallon Park, Recreation Complex, (YMCA) Southwest corner of parking lot
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Carondelet Park, Grand and Holly Hills, area between maintenance yard gate and recycling area.
These sites will be accepting trees until Jan. 10, and will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free mulch and firewood are also available for pickup by city residents at each of these parks, though according to a city press release daily wood supply is not guaranteed.
