Recycling Christmas trees in Roxborough

The Christmas presents have all been unwrapped, the cookies and pies have been eaten and, for many of us, that beautiful green pine, spruce or fir is still proudly on display in our living rooms.

Don’t worry, no one is forcing us to get rid of those prized evergreens just yet.   But as of Monday, January 3, Philadelphia’s Streets Department will start up its annual Christmas tree recycling program, which runs through January 15.

Manayunk, Roxborough and East Falls residents can drop-off their trees to be recycled at the city’s drop-off center at Domino Lane and Umbria Street in Roxborough. The center will be open from 8 a.m to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Other drop-off locations include 3033 S. 63rd St. in South Philadelphia and State Road and Ashburner Street in Northeast Philadelphia.

Trees brought to the sites should be untied and free of all decorations. They should not be placed in plastic bags.

The Philadelphia Christmas Tree Recycling Program has been designed to provide residents with an environmentally safe alternative for disposal of used trees. Trees that formerly would have ended up in landfills are now being collected and recycled for use as mulch.

Residents who wish to recycle a Christmas tree through curbside collection are out of luck. Trees left at the curb will be considered trash and picked up on regularly scheduled trash days.

For more information, contact the customer affairs unit at 215-686-5560 or visit www.phila.gov/streets.